###

Referenced Links

• Zero Point Energy, The Fuel of the Future – Book by Thomas Valone, 2007.
• http://IntegrityResearchInstitute.org – Valone’s site
• Third International Conference On Future Energy – October 9-10, 2009, Washington, D.C.  Organized by Valone
• Crystals Turn Roads into Power Stations (10 December 2008, New Scientist issue 2685)
• U.S. Patent 5590031 – System for converting electromagnetic radiation energy to electrical energy. Dec 31, 1996. “First ZPE Patent”
• SPESIF – 2009 – Valone will be presenting a peer-reviewed paper on ZPE at this conference.

(editors note: from:http://pesn.com/2009/01/21/9501515_ZeroPointEnergy_Valone/)

Posted by Chris van der Zwaal in Solar energy

Because I think that the price of a solar panel is still pretty high(in Europe), and because the stimulation from our government (in the Netherlands) is not so good (very,very complicated and time consuming) I started the project of building my own solar panel. I would like to invite anyone who has some experience with this or is interested in it ,to give me any advice or remarks about it. The main challenge is to build a panel that can withstand heat, cold, rain and hail for many years.

Buying My First Solar Cells

In October 2008 I bought my first 100 cells via Ebay. But as I later learned, they were still very expensive: 300 Euros for 100 cells, including shipping. I was told they should produce 1,98 Watt each. Below a picture :

The First Solar Cells

After some experimenting and very long brainstorming about how to continue, I found another seller on Ebay who had the same cells (of which he gave the specification that they were 1,75 Wp each……) But these were slightly damaged.

Well I decided to buy 500 cells ,a mix of 3 different qualities. The seller had not counted these cells but there were 620 cells, of which after a first selection , just over 500 were reasonably good. Not a bad deal to start with. And a lot cheaper! Also now I had over 100 cells for practice on soldering and handling.

The 620 Cells.

Building the First Small Panel.

Well I got started. Beginning with the soldering-technique, that takes some practice, but after a while you get the hang of it. And now my first small experimental panel is ready! The main focus and moreover challenge is to get the cells 100% sealed: air and water tight. The cheapest solution for me is to make a double-glass construction. And the cells in between the 2 plates of glass. The panel is made of 12 cells, each 0.55 Volts. On the picture below you can see many purple coloured wires. Those wires are each connected in between each cell so afterwards I can still do some measurements to compare each separate cell.

My First Do-it-yourself Solar Panel

The First Measurements in the Sun

I must say that at first I was worried whether I would see the cells really produce the power they should. But after building a variable resistance (making it possible for me to roughly find the maximum power point) the sun at last was shining (not much sunshine here beginning of February) and I got my first real measurement : 15,5 Watt. According to the specifications the panel should give a maximum of 12 x 1,75 W = 21 Wp.

Given the fact that the glass takes away about 10% of the power,without the glass it would have been about 17 Watt. I expect that during summer as the sun rises much higher above the horizon, the measurement will give higher readings , thus coming closer to the specifications…. I am using normal 4 mm (0.16 inch) glass because it costs me nothing. If you just look around near places were they renovate old houses you can get the old glass for free…… This compared to the real stuff they use for solarpanels which is quite expensive and probably very difficult to find.

Influence of Heating the Panel in the Sun.

During the first measurements, I found that the heating up of the panel was pretty strong. But this especially was the case for the backside. were the cells are glued upon (using the same kit I used for glueing and sealing the panel). This panel is 12 mm (0.47 inch) thick : 2 plates of glass each 4 mm (0.16 inch) and 4 mm in between. What troubles me is the temperature-difference between the front and backplate of glass. This will result in different expansions creating stress on the sealing,if that is repeated too often it will start leaking. Now I am using the same kit as is being used in solar panel factories. But it still worries me. A solution can be to keep the panels small, so the difference in expansion stays minimal.

Improvements

A solution to the temperature-problem can also be to make the gap between the 2 plates of glass smaller. So the heat will be more evenly dissipated to both the front and backside ( thereby also creating more cooling capacity). My next panel (picture below) is the same size,the difference is the distance between the 2 plates of glass : it is now 1.5 mm (0.059 inch) …..and this also makes the sealing a lot easier and thereby better. I have used pieces of copper winding wire that I happened to have : 1.2 mm (0.047 inch) thick. I took several pieces of about 3 cm and spread them evenly along the side on the glass backplate. Then the kit along them all around the full edge. And finally pressed the front plate on it. The result is a gap between the plates somewhere between 1.2 mm and 1.5 mm. So on the inside, there is some trapped air (with, of course, a certain amount of humidity in it), which can potentially cause condensation. But my hope is that the amount of that is so small (only very small amount of air……) that it will not be a factor…… ( In the first panel I did put some stuff that can “eat” the condensation. I got this out of old double glass that I separated,the stuff is inside the aluminium strips between the double glass edges)

The Improved Panel

The kit will have to dry for a few days, but anyhow the weather forecast does not indicate any sunshine the coming days………

First Results

Bottom line is that if the output of each cell really hits 1,75 Wp then I can come to a price of Euro 1,20 per Wp (or even lower than that….) And with such a price the panel will not have to last for 20 years……..but off course that is my aim ! That will be the main challenge ! But I must say with this second panel my hopes are getting higher.

You can find more (and more up to date) information on my website

Well, who feels like building panels also ? Or give me some advice, or share experience. I do not mind getting negative critics because they might be correct………and they are there to be solved !

Next Phase

Update: 15 februari 2010:

The first systeem of 400Wp is now fully functional and produced it’s first electricity. The cost price is now around $1.68 per Wp and is expected to drop to $1.10. More information about the next phase in the project can be read in the article Built Solarpanel Installation Now Operational.

Free Power

Free power isn’t totally free you will need to invest in equipment; but the power you make will be free. You have a large advantage over power companies when you make free power at home. No delivery charge. 

Power companies collect power or convert it then deliver it. They divide the cost of investment over 30 to 50 years and charge you for the investment and delivery amortized over time. 

What is the delivery cost if you make your own power (Zilch, zero, nothing)? If you hire a contractor to install energy devices at your home the cost will not be much cheaper than the Power Company. Your payback period will be as high as 25 years, not much better than the Power Company’s payback period. 

The rules change when you make your own power with a do-it-yourself (DIY) approach. No delivery charge, no contractor cost and investment payback period is usually under 5 years. 

Here are seven reasons to make DIY homemade power:

 
1.) Free power is everywhere. You just need to collect it. 

 
2.) Collecting free power is easy with solar, wind, and solar hot water systems. 

 
3.) Free power investment is cheap for DIY. DIY projects can be 1/10 the cost of commercial and payback is 5-10 times faster, usually under 5 years. 

 
4.) The governments encourage free power collection. The government will pay you. In the USA the tax credit is 30% up to $2000 for solar electric and solar hot water and up to $4,000 for small wind turbine. That is not much for commercial investment of $20,000 to $80,000; but this is a lot for DIY projects of $100 to $6,000. 

 
5.) Free power is green. The more you collect the less the power company pollutes our planet. That makes a greener planet for our future and the kids’ future. 

 
6.) Do-it-yourself guides that make free power projects easy and low cost are cheap. Projects are a $100 – $200 investment. Multiple projects can get you off the grid completely. 

 
7.) Remote sites like a vacation home or cabin, hunting lodge, campsites can be powered by these free power projects, no gas generator and no kerosene. 

Solar Panels

This Is What It Looks Like

Solar panels are a collection of solar cells, soldered together into a system. The cells can be purchase on eBay for about $50 per 100 watts of power. You assemble the cells in to 70 – 175 watt panels. Installing the panels is a matter of some brackets and wire. Solar panel installation is much more flexible and portable than wind turbines. 

Solar panels produce 18+ volts in to a battery charge controller. The controller fills deep cycle batteries with the power during the day. Power can be generated most days, even with clouds. 

 The limitation of solar panels is the sun. It’s up only half the day. A power inverter converts the battery’s power to household power for your normal use, day or night. Building several panels can achieve 1000+ watts of power. 

Small Wind Turbine

DIY Wind Turbine

Wind turbine is not for everyone. You need an open space, not because they are too large but because the wind flows better in the open. You need a minimum of 10+ M.P.H. wind speed with 20+ M.P.H. being ideal. An advantage to wind turbines is the wind can blow all day to produce power day or night. Another consideration is the wind turbine needs to be on a tower. 

The taller the better, in the 20 – 60 foot range. This usually requires local zoning permits. If these are not a problem you will get twice the power out of a wind turbine than for the same investment in solar panels. The break-even point is $400. More than that, the wind turbine is less costly to build for the same power output. 

You can easily get 450 watts to 1,000 watts from one DIY homemade turbine. Like the Solar Panel description above, you store the energy in deep cycle batteries and use an inverter to make household power, day or night. 

Solar Hot Water

Solar Hot Water

The power required for a home hot water heater is about 30% of the household energy budget. The solar hot water can easily cut that in half. Solar hot water uses the greenhouse effect. 

Build a box with a glass cover and some pipes and you can get hot water in the range of 120 – 130 degrees Fahrenheit winter and summer. Feed this hot water into you hot water heater for storage and the hot water heater will shut down, no power consumption. The hot water heater will only run when a boost is required like washing clothes. The construction is cheap and easy. 

Solar Air Heater

Solar Air Heater

Think about it. Free heat for the garage, basement or out-building. No wires not power costs. Supplement your house heater with free heat from the sun for as little as $30 in parts. 

Assuming you have most of the common parts around your garage, then yes you can. Even if it costs you a little more, its a fun “DIY Project” for the weekend.  

Geothermal Heat Pumps

Geothermal typical System

Geothermal heating and cooling technology provides exceptional performance and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) agrees that a geothermal heat pump is the most energy-efficient, environmentally clean, and most cost-effective space conditioning system available. 

    Today’s best geothermal systems outperform the best gas technology, gas heat pumps, by an average of 36% in heating mode and 43% in cooling mode! 

       You can save 25-50% on home electric bills compared to conventional heating and cooling systems. Imagine what you could do with the extra money in your wallet! 

The Reason for Guides

Do you want to know how to do these projects, what materials to buy, how big or small to make things? Get a DIY guide is the answer. For under $50 you can get a step-by-step guide, a plan and in some cases where needed you get a video tutorial. 

Which guide is best? Where do you get the guide. Go to www.ResidentialEnergykit.com for help. 

Off-Grid: Green Homes, Yachts, Vans and Cabins

How to live off the power grid.

Off-Grid living, (not using a power company) is a requirement for some remote locations like a cabin at the lake, hunting lodge, campsite, barn, field station, mobile home or a yacht. To live Off-Grid you need to make your own electricity. Conventional ways could include a gas or diesel powered generator that costs $1,000 – $5,000. The fuel cost alone to make energy will be expensive as much as ten times what a Power Company charges. What if you could make free power? Consider the Sun, Wind and Magnetism as free energy sources.

Living Off-Grid can be a way to save cost but that would require no cost power. Making power with solar panels, wind turbine generators or magnetic powered generators is how you can create free energy to get Off-Grid. You need to know-how to put these free energy generators all together for a reliable system. Concern for reliability may still include a gas or diesel generator but need a much less significant size and cost.

Evaluating Your Energy Loses and Improvements Needed

This is the most cost effective step. Any cost you have hear will pay you back 300% to 500% in the first year. Finding improvements in you energy consumption such as heat loss through windows door, ceiling, walls etc.

DIY Home Energy Audits

Think about replacing lighting with the new LED lamps. Appliances need to be Energy Star compliant an the list goes on and on. You can do the evaluation in a day. Develop a plan and do the most important first. In the next step you will define the amount of power you will need and that translates to the size of you off-grid system. The smaller the system, the less it will cost. So you see this step is very cost effective. See Easy-Energy-Audits

Evaluating Your Electrical Load

Your main electrical loads are appliances, cooking and lighting and in a few situations hot water heater, heat and air-conditioning. All have a calculation and a duty cycle. For an illustration a refrigerator consumes between 350 - 550 watts while the compressor is operating. The compressor “ON” ratio to compressor “OFF” is the duty cycle. In a day the 350 watts multiplied by the duty cycle of say 30% would evaluate to 24 x 350 x 30% = 2520 watts per day or 105 watts per hour average. Your energy source and power storage would need to be big enough for this load. Repeat the calculation for all the loads and you will determine the size of the Off-Grid scheme.

Power Sources for Electricity

Solar

If you enjoy a lot of sun you ought to consider Solar Panels. These devices can deliver 70 - 175 watts of free energy for each panel for a portion of the day. By having several panels, 1,000+ watts of free energy is feasible.

Wind

DIY Wind Turbine

Wind turbine generators can create 450 - 1,000 watts of energy the entire day. How much free energy they produce can vary with the wind patterns. Wind turbine tend to be more efficient for the installation dollar when the weather conditions are favorable. You need a minimum 10+ MPH and 20+ MPH is ideal. In addition you need space for a tower and a zoning permit.

Magnet Generator

Magnetic generators are allot smaller devices in the order of 24 - 100 watts. Their advantage is making free energy at a regular rate 24 hours a day, each day regardless of the weather. Several magnetic generators should be considered. A standard gas or diesel powered electric generator can produce energy also but not free energy.

Solar Hot Water and Solar Air Heaters Reduce Electrical Load.

These two devices are a good way to reduce the burden of electricity. Electrical heat is the most power hungry use of electricity. Getting heat from the sun will reduce the electrical load by over 30%, thus the cost of electricity power installation.

Solar Hot Water

Solar Hot Water

systems can use the sun to heat water that is stored in a well insulated tank. The temperature of this water can exceed 140 degree fahrenheit. If you choose an active system you can plumb the heated water throughout the home as primary heat. As a passive system it would augment the hot water heater.

Solar Air Heater requires no moving parts yet it will heat a room with just air currents, of course only during the day. It need not be a cloud free day for it to work.  The construction cost is very low, cheat even.

Energy Storage

All the above electrical energy sources need to store up their energy supplies to get totally Off-Grid. Power storage is in the form of deep cycle storage batteries.

Power Storage

Deep cycle batteries are unlike your car batteries. Car batteries convey a lot of energy for a few seconds then get re-energized. Car battery’s chemistry will be damaged if they get strongly discharged. Deep cycle batteries can supply power for hours by design an are not damage by strong discharges. Deep cycle batteries approximate cost each is: $129 @ 33 Amp Hour to $200 @ 450 Amp Hour. The battery Amp Hour rating should be two times the anticipated load. The batteries last longer that way. Battery maintence and renovation is important and can be costly. See How To Recondition Batteries

Battery Charge Controllers

To correctly charge a battery from the above energy sources you need a charge controller (regulator). The controller will take a variety of energy source voltages from 14 volt to 48 volts and regulate it to charge the batteries safely. Over charging protection circuits are included. Charge controllers cost from $24 to $84 for 4 - 30 Amp models.

Battery Power Inverters

2000 Watt Power Inverter

To use the free power that you have stored you need to take the battery voltage and direct current up to household voltage and alternating current with a power inverter. Household voltage of 110 Vac or 220 Vac are electronically made with a device called an “Power Inverter”. Inverter power output rating (watts) is important to consider. This power output needs to exceed your peak power load. Inverter cost range is at $36 @ 400 Watts to $852 @ 2,000 Watts. Having more than one inverter gives you built in backup.

Backup Systems

2,000 Watt Gas Generator

Backup systems are mandatory for Off-Grid living. By definition you do not have access to the Grid energy. Your stored power is your primary line of backup. That should be designed for a 24-hour load. What do you do after that? If your solar, wind and/or magnetic power sources no longer work. You will need a gas or diesel generator. Because you have battery power storage, you just need to refresh the batteries and that will take a much smaller generator. A 400-watt gas generator will cost $102 and a 3,750-watt gas generator will cost $500. Don’t forget these generators have a fuel and service cost and don’t provide free power.

Conclusion

Off-Grid living is an exciting idea and can have free power. Live or play anywhere without a Power Company. If you purchase Solar Panels @ $5 per watt or Wind Generators @ $1 per watt you will be paying 3 to 10 times what it would take to make your own Solar Panel or Wind Generator. Magnetic Generators are near impossible to buy. To make your own power sources buy a guide. The guides will show you how to make these power sources at home. Free power is the way to go Off-Grid.

If you want my critical review of two of the best guides Go To: www.ResidentialEnergyKit.com