Analysis
I thought here I could have a look at all our possible methods of providing power for all of our needs.
Solar power P.N.I. - Positives, Negatives and Interesting points to consider
Positives
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Negatives:
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Interesting:
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Bicycle power P.N.I.
Positives:
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Negatives:
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Interesting:
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Wind power P.N.I.
Positives:
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Negatives:
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Interesting:
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Applying permaculture principles
Use and value diversity
One idea would be to try and meet all of our needs from solar power. But then if something fails in our system, or a storm lingers for days and days and no sun can break through the clouds, then we'll be totally stuck. The system will be much stronger and more resilient if there is diversity within the elements supplying our needs. With this in mind I'd like to include a variety of methods to produce our power.
One idea would be to try and meet all of our needs from solar power. But then if something fails in our system, or a storm lingers for days and days and no sun can break through the clouds, then we'll be totally stuck. The system will be much stronger and more resilient if there is diversity within the elements supplying our needs. With this in mind I'd like to include a variety of methods to produce our power.
Use small and slow solutions
As we are starting from the beginning here it may be a big cash outlay and lots of work to install all of the elements that we want in one go. Maybe creating a time plan would be a good idea, starting with the elements that are the most possible for us right now, and adding more as time goes on. This may be especially true of the wind turbine, and I could time it's installation with a turbine building workshop in the Spring of next year.
As we are starting from the beginning here it may be a big cash outlay and lots of work to install all of the elements that we want in one go. Maybe creating a time plan would be a good idea, starting with the elements that are the most possible for us right now, and adding more as time goes on. This may be especially true of the wind turbine, and I could time it's installation with a turbine building workshop in the Spring of next year.
Design from patterns to details
Looking at the natural forces throughout the land, such as wind direction and average hours of sunlight, helps me to understand how and where I can capture this natural, renewable energy. Then when I have decided on the best methods of energy to use for our home, I'll need to go into very great detail to design, needing to learn a lot and looking for help and advice with the electricity side of things.
Looking at the natural forces throughout the land, such as wind direction and average hours of sunlight, helps me to understand how and where I can capture this natural, renewable energy. Then when I have decided on the best methods of energy to use for our home, I'll need to go into very great detail to design, needing to learn a lot and looking for help and advice with the electricity side of things.
Creatively use and respond to change
I think that this system will be very experimental at first, as even with all the calculations, I have the feeling that when it's all put together we may need to do some adjusting. Perhaps we won't get as much sunlight in our particular micro climate as we expected, or perhaps the angle of the panels will need adjusting, or perhaps we'll be losing too much power in wiring lengths, or a thousand other things could mean that we son't get the energy that we expected and will need to adjust the system. Also, as we keep extending the house and welcoming more volunteers our energy needs will go up, and we'll need to add to the system.
I think that this system will be very experimental at first, as even with all the calculations, I have the feeling that when it's all put together we may need to do some adjusting. Perhaps we won't get as much sunlight in our particular micro climate as we expected, or perhaps the angle of the panels will need adjusting, or perhaps we'll be losing too much power in wiring lengths, or a thousand other things could mean that we son't get the energy that we expected and will need to adjust the system. Also, as we keep extending the house and welcoming more volunteers our energy needs will go up, and we'll need to add to the system.
Use and value renewable resources and services
This one obviously fits into this project well. It's been really nice so far within this project to look more deeply at the natural forces running through our land, and how we can best harness these and use them to be of most benefit to us. Not being connected to any form of mainstream grid power means that these natural forces are all we have, but when I start to look into just how much sunlight and wind especially we have as a resource, I realise how fortunate we are to be in the particular area that we are and how rich we are with these resources. The Mediterranean climate has such long clear skies and sunny days, so making solar power more possible for us and easier for us to have a relatively small system and still gain a lot of power through sunlight. And as our land is part of a valley where the wind blows regularly, strong and quite directly, using a wind turbine also seems to be a very good option for us.
Another aspect on this that is really supporting is the connections I have with two different groups, Demand Energy Equality in Bristol, and V3 power in Nottingham. Both of these are co-operatives and work towards empowering people within their communities to be energy independent by providing low cost renewable systems and workshops showing people how to build their own systems. V3 power are old friends of mine, and I will hopefully be joining them on a future course learning how to build a wind turbine. And Demand Energy Equality have been incredibly supportive and have agreed to send us some very heavily discounted solar cells so we can build our own panels at a fraction of the cost of buying them. Thanks guys, you are amazing.
This one obviously fits into this project well. It's been really nice so far within this project to look more deeply at the natural forces running through our land, and how we can best harness these and use them to be of most benefit to us. Not being connected to any form of mainstream grid power means that these natural forces are all we have, but when I start to look into just how much sunlight and wind especially we have as a resource, I realise how fortunate we are to be in the particular area that we are and how rich we are with these resources. The Mediterranean climate has such long clear skies and sunny days, so making solar power more possible for us and easier for us to have a relatively small system and still gain a lot of power through sunlight. And as our land is part of a valley where the wind blows regularly, strong and quite directly, using a wind turbine also seems to be a very good option for us.
Another aspect on this that is really supporting is the connections I have with two different groups, Demand Energy Equality in Bristol, and V3 power in Nottingham. Both of these are co-operatives and work towards empowering people within their communities to be energy independent by providing low cost renewable systems and workshops showing people how to build their own systems. V3 power are old friends of mine, and I will hopefully be joining them on a future course learning how to build a wind turbine. And Demand Energy Equality have been incredibly supportive and have agreed to send us some very heavily discounted solar cells so we can build our own panels at a fraction of the cost of buying them. Thanks guys, you are amazing.
Catch and store energy
Perhaps the most obvious one here. Catch the sun and wind, store them in a battery, then use them when it's dark and windless to turn on the lights. Beautifully simple.
Perhaps the most obvious one here. Catch the sun and wind, store them in a battery, then use them when it's dark and windless to turn on the lights. Beautifully simple.
Fitting within the ethics of permaculture
Time for a check in here, to make sure that this design fits fully within the ethics of permaculture design.
By creating a renewable energy system, I am enabling my family and myself to be independent from mainstream energy production within our homes. This means less dependency on fossil fuels (This is where the Earth care ethic comes in). The further we can all move away from fossil fuels, the sooner the Earth can start to recover the damage already inflicted upon her. And this also means that we can take responsibility for our own power needs. It's just so easy for everyone in the Western world to turn on the lights, or the heating, and not think for a moment where the energy for that is coming from. So it's very hard for people to begin to reduce their personal consumptions when they are so disconnected from the system as a whole. This overuse of fossil fuels has created the planetary imbalance which is climate change, which has begun now to negatively impact so many people and places around the world, and most unfairly hitting parts of the developing world the hardest. We must all start to take responsibility for our parts in this, which is where the ethics of Fair shares and People care come into this design. Creating a renewable power system is one more step towards making those big heavy footprints we all have on the planet just a little bit lighter.
By creating a renewable energy system, I am enabling my family and myself to be independent from mainstream energy production within our homes. This means less dependency on fossil fuels (This is where the Earth care ethic comes in). The further we can all move away from fossil fuels, the sooner the Earth can start to recover the damage already inflicted upon her. And this also means that we can take responsibility for our own power needs. It's just so easy for everyone in the Western world to turn on the lights, or the heating, and not think for a moment where the energy for that is coming from. So it's very hard for people to begin to reduce their personal consumptions when they are so disconnected from the system as a whole. This overuse of fossil fuels has created the planetary imbalance which is climate change, which has begun now to negatively impact so many people and places around the world, and most unfairly hitting parts of the developing world the hardest. We must all start to take responsibility for our parts in this, which is where the ethics of Fair shares and People care come into this design. Creating a renewable power system is one more step towards making those big heavy footprints we all have on the planet just a little bit lighter.
Connections of elements
Below I've looked at how each of the elements that need power can be best supplied by each form of energy. I've now added in ideas for a washing machine, as if this is a possibility with bicycle power that'd also be a great thing to have..
From this I've realised that by using several forms of energy I can best supply our household needs. If I design a system based only on solar panels then the system is likely to be over our budget, so by planning on using a range of different methods, including ideas on how to reduce our energy needs - like opening up another window in the downstairs room of the house to bring in more natural light, and by using mechanical methods like a hand blender and bicycle washing machine.
Also, by using the resource of human energy, as bicycle power for charging a battery can be very physically demanding, but when we want to use the projector for courses we will have an extra resource, volunteers. So we can use that stored energy within those bodies and transfer that to create a movie night. And in that situation it could also be a cool thing to bring into a course, making that nice connection for the people and their energy.
Also, by using the resource of human energy, as bicycle power for charging a battery can be very physically demanding, but when we want to use the projector for courses we will have an extra resource, volunteers. So we can use that stored energy within those bodies and transfer that to create a movie night. And in that situation it could also be a cool thing to bring into a course, making that nice connection for the people and their energy.
Second thoughts on a bicycle powered projector..
To create enough power by bicycle to power our projector on movie nights, I looked into creating a bank of bicycles connected to a battery, providing enough power to charge a projector for long enough to watch a full movie.
I've discovered that one bicycle being ridden at average speed for 1 hour will provide 10 watt hours of power (that's 10 Watt hours, not Kilowatt hours like the other calculations I've been using). The lowest power projector I have found uses 50 watts of power, and we'll be needing it for 2 hours, to cover a full movie length. So, if we had 10 bicycles being ridden for 1 hour, or 5 bicycles being ridden for 2 hours we'd have enough to chill with a movie. !! Really, I don't think this is a very practical or very kind way to offer movie nights for volunteers, after a full day's working or participating on a course, asking them to peddle for so long. So now I imagine the projector power will be re-channelled from solar and eventually wind power.
So now I'm onto designing the systems I need to put into place.
I've discovered that one bicycle being ridden at average speed for 1 hour will provide 10 watt hours of power (that's 10 Watt hours, not Kilowatt hours like the other calculations I've been using). The lowest power projector I have found uses 50 watts of power, and we'll be needing it for 2 hours, to cover a full movie length. So, if we had 10 bicycles being ridden for 1 hour, or 5 bicycles being ridden for 2 hours we'd have enough to chill with a movie. !! Really, I don't think this is a very practical or very kind way to offer movie nights for volunteers, after a full day's working or participating on a course, asking them to peddle for so long. So now I imagine the projector power will be re-channelled from solar and eventually wind power.
So now I'm onto designing the systems I need to put into place.
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