In "Solar Energy Projects for the Evil Genius," Gavin Harper describes how energy is used in the developed world, with 58 percent of energy being spent on residential space heating, another 24 percent on heating water and 13 percent on electricity. Solar energy is a clean, easy-to-use, free renewable source of power. You can capture the sun's energy and store it for use when needed, reducing or eliminating reliance on expensive polluting fossil fuels. Does this Spark an idea?
Solar-Powered Fountain
- For a beautiful, energy-efficient water feature in the garden, landscape or backyard, put together a solar-powered fountain. A submersible pump, a small solar array that produces enough energy to power the pump and a decorative fountain are connected for a water display that energy from the sun sustains for free.
Solar Battery Charger
- Use the power of the sun to charge your rechargeable batteries, and you won't have to root around in the junk drawer for fresh batteries ever again. Solar battery chargers are available commercially, but you can easily build one with a few simple materials like an AA battery holder, a nine-volt batter clip, a housing with an integral battery holder (optional), eight solar cells and an IN5818 Schottky diode. Hooked up with a simple schematic and positioned to catch the sun's rays, this unit charges batteries, saves money and is a source of free energy.
Solar Attic Vent Fan
- You can install a solar attic vent fan in about a day with simple tools, and you'll save big on your home's summer energy costs, or you'll save year-round if you live in a warm climate. Attics can trap and store a lot of heat, forcing your home's cooling system to work harder and costing you more in electric bills. A solar fan runs on the free energy of the sun to move that hot trapped air out of your attic.
Sun Room
- Not only do sun rooms provide some extra living space, but they're a valuable solar energy device. Positioned properly to capture the most sun, even in winter, these rooms capture and store the sun's radiant heat. The best-engineered sun rooms distribute that captured heat to the rest of the house, reducing heating bills and increasing comfort throughout the building.
Photo-Voltaic System
- If you want to make a large-scale investment in your home and in solar energy or if you're building a new home with photo-voltaic technologies, installing a full-scale photo-voltaic system will reap big rewards. Whole-house solar energy systems not only get your electric, water heating and space heating and cooling off the grid, but they can also get you plugged into the grid by allowing you to sell your extra energy to utility companies. That's free energy for your home and some to share with the community, if you're willing and able to invest in the latest solar technologies.
