Installing Solar at Woodhenge.org

Jim Juczak's power system was damaged by their recent house fire. A group of us went to help them rebuild various aspects from sheetrock to applying primer. My son Matt and I tackled upgrading and repairing the power system. Jim had built wooden frames for the 12 new solar panels. These panels are a bit different than the usual ones we run across. Each panel is a 45 watt, 98 volt open circuit amorphous panel. Matt and I built combiner boxes and wiring whips so that each frame will hold 4 panels wired in parallel, and a master combiner box that parallels the 3 frames, feeding the Outback MX-60 in the house. The house contains a 24 volt Trojan L16 battery pack.

Each frame has a small combiner box connecting the 4 panels with 12 gauge cable to a 10 gauge uplink to the master combiner box. The master combiner uplinks to the house with 6 gauge. See pics at http://ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/12VDC_Power/photos/browse/5156?c=

They bought a 40' shipping container to put belongings in while the house is being finished, so we put a temporary pv system on that as well for internal lighting.

We go back next weekend to fix the wind turbine and install some ground lines for the panels.

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Invention of the Month - The Green Steam Engine

This one has been around a while, and has met the test of time. It's a reliable design, and we think it's awesome. See more at http://www.greensteamengine.com

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Composting Toilet and Recycling System, Ready to Go!

We have developed a complete composting Kitchen and Toilet system for anyone wanting to reduce their water requirements, eliminate sewage, and build soil quality for gardening. Consisting of a manual on worm composting, a collection device (toilet), cover & bedding material (coconut fiber), a worm bin and worms, This system sells for $100 + Shipping, and includes everything you need. See pictures of the components at

http://ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/simplyoffgrid/photos/browse/9dd6?c=

( http://tinyurl.com/2l9osf )

Build your own from the descriptions and parts list, or drop us a line at sspence@green-trust.org for a complete kit delivered to you.

Also recommended:

The Humanure Handbook - http://tinyurl.com/2to3wm

Worms Eat My Garbage (included in kit) - http://tinyurl.com/2p2ze6

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Anguilla Solar

We just got back from our trip to Anguilla. We helped Francoise set up her new solar power system. Two Kyocera 130 watt PV panels, a Xantrex C35 charge controller, a Trimetric Battery Meter, a Morningstar Microsine 300 sine wave inverter, and a 70 ah AGM battery, power up 3 Compact Fluorescent Lights, A LG WP-680N Washing Machine (260 Watts) and a Shurflo 12v pump. Two weeks of testing, and we were never able to pull the battery below 12.4 volts. The system consistently output 1.5 kWh's daily. More pics at http://www.green-trust.org/Anguilla%20Solar/.

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Solar Install in Anguilla

We are off on our trip to Anguilla to do a solar install. Be back in 2 weeks, and expect to have a tan. Will post pics when we return. The install consists of two 130 watt panels, 35 amp charge controller, 1 AGM 70ah battery, a 300 watt sine wave inverter, and a 12 volt shurflo cistern pump. See pics of last weeks solar install at Woodhenge.org

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Worm Composting eBooklet Finished

We finished our eBooklet on worm composting. We are adding the final pictures, and polishing up the video. The booklet is $15 and comes with support group access and a $10 discount on the video (normally $35). See http://www.green-trust.org/ebooks/.

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Science Channel Rerun of Wind Turbine build Tonight

The Science Channel is having a rerun night, with the first few episodes being reshown, including our wind turbine episode at 10:30pm. Don't miss the other episodes, as there are many cool green tech things happening. See new episodes every Monday night.

http://science.discovery.com/fansites/invention-nation/invention-nation.html

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