Generating your own electricity

[DrinkingHarp]

Ardal, share or PM any links you have on this. I'm very interested in this topic.

If you agree to live for 5 years in a mud hut with no windows or doors and have only 4 lights and two radios for 5 years from your own homemade windmill, I will personally build it.

The "Green Movement" for homes is going to be evolving and producing better technology in the years to come. In 15-25 years from now people will look back and say "how did we use other energy sources beside natural/green sources not so long ago?". I have seen the trends from being on homesites here the past few years where new buyers are looking for green alternatives for their homes and it will only increase (requests for green) with the price of fuels/energy increasing 15-30% per year while pay is still below the cost of living.

Can someone live off the grid completely? Yes. Is it easy? Depends. What some might consider essential for quality of life (laptops,video games, electric dryers and such) might not be the same for the next person. You will see people living off the grid with most of the modern conveniences but like I said that will be down a few years with new technology.

Homes:

http://www.morningjournal.com/articles/2012/03/19/news/doc4f66b774d6957619196014.txt

http://www.solarhaven.org/NewStrawbale.htm

http://www.pbase.com/michellemahood/my_house_of_straw_bales

Power:

http://solarhome.org/

http://homepower.com/home/

[lawnseed]

rewind lads. the biggest energy bill you have is heating. your average immersion heater on grid is maybe 1500watts and maybe 20mins will give you a fare amount of hot water. now think of 500watts from waterwheel/windturbine (and thats small) going 24hrs a day in the same tank. thats alot of hot water together with a small amount of oil/potbelly input for peak times it will certainly reduce your oil bill. stay on grid dont worry about batteries etc if the tank gets too hot the boiling water will blow off and more cold water will come into the system so you have a dump valve to get rid of any access energy in times of flood or storm. if you dont have enough wind/water the immersion still works on lower power.(just not so well) if you need more hot water put another immersion in the tank.. and another small type wind turbine..