The Energy and Transportation Links have been moved to our new sister site page at Alternative Renewable Energy , they’ve also been nicely categorized by subject for easier access. New alternative energy sites will be added to that page.
Converting an engine to run on alternative fuel such as alcohol or vegetable oil , discussion thread from last year about some of the details and options.
Green LA , Los Angeles residents can voluntarily agree to pay 6% extra on their electric bill, with the funds used to subsidize the purchase of electricity generated by renewable sources (solar, wind, geothermal, etc.) This electricity tends to cost a bit more than power generated by fossil fuel plants, but the price of the fossil fuel plant doesn’t include the cost of the pollution. As of November 1999, 20,000 households had signed up for the program. This program is designed to allow consumers to encourage alternative non-polluting energy markets to create new productive enterprises to provide such renewable energy.
PV Power , from the Dept. of Energy, a set of detailed pages about generating your own power with solar cells.
Electricity-free Refrigeration , here are do-it-yourself plans for building an absorption refrigerator that does not use electricity.
Bio-energy List Archives , searchable, this is one of the lists I archive.
WIRE – the Worldwide Information System for Renewable Energy, sponsored by the German government (site is in English, however), tons of resources (click on “guest access” or do a free registration which allows more options (such as providing information to the database).
International information on renewal energy , Geothermal, Biomass, Waste, Hydro, Solar, Wind, PV
Build a solar power generator for less than $300 , enough power for a small TV, or radio, cassette player, small fan, blender.
Veggie Van , OK, you take any kind of vegetable oil (used frying oil from restaurants is fine), mix it with a bit of methanol and lye, and you get glycerin soap and BIODIESEL. Pour the biodiesel into any diesel engine, and it will work fine (no modifications to the engine are necessary), and the exhaust smells like french fries. These people drove all over the country in a biodiesel powered van, and wrote a book about it. You can buy the book here, and or read for free about the wonderful world of bio-diesel.
Carbohydrate Economy Clearing House , from the Institute for Local Self Reliance, making fuels (and other industrial projects) from veggies and other carbohydrates.
Phyllis , a database on the composition of biomass and waste. If you need the details, they are here.
Mr. Solar great access to information about living “off-the-electrical-grid”. Has numerous articles about all facets of alternative energy.
Build your own generator using a lawnmower engine and an automobile alternator. No kidding, detailed plans, built it yourself.
Renewables for Sustainable Village Power Program access to information about local and village electrical power programs not dependent upon importing electricity from a grid.
Methane Production , detailed discussion by someone who’s done it (that is, produced methane gas from manure and chopped plant matter. Can be a substitute for natural gas or propane
Making your own fuel alcohol, hydrogen gas, and methane.
The full costs of the car , from Car-free Ottawa, an accounting of the real costs of auto ownership, including the externalities our economic system allows us to avoid.
Solar Energy International , renewable energy education and sustainable development. Among other activities, they offer on-line classes in designing a PV (photo-voltaic) energy system.
Do it yourself automotive LPG conversion , convert your car to run on propane or methane. Complete on-line text of the book.
Green Energy News , covering clean, renewable, and efficient energy for transportation, home, and business.
Solar Frost , a European start cooperative offering solar refrigeration and cooling technology.
Carbohydrate Economy E-bulletin , December 2000, monthly publication chronicling developments in alternative economic development, from the Institute for Local Self Reliance . See also Healthy Building Network , safer & ecologically superior building materials, Waste to Wealth , community development through reuse and recycling,
Alternative Energy Links , from Frugal Living at About.com , lots of links to all aspects of alternative energy.
Earth Saving Tips , from Earth Share, lots of practical ideas for saving energy and living a green lifestyle.
Fuel Economy , from the US Department of Energy, on-line access to fuel economy statistics for vehicles sold in the US. See Driving More Efficiently for tips on fuel economy.
Energy in the 21st Century: the return of Geopolitics? , “Experience in mature oil regions suggests that conventional oil production could peak between 2010 and 2020. Production outside OPEC Middle East would start to decline before OPEC Middle East production, implying a greater reliance on Middle East supply.” Detailed report on the world petroleum supply, from the Organizationfor Economic Cooperation and Development , which is sponsored by 30 nations, mostly the developed West.
Biodiesel research and the University of Missouri , bibliography, some on-line academic papers.
National Biodiesel Board , all the news that fit to print about all things biodiesel.
Biodiesel , a do it yourselfer shows how he makes biodiesel from used fryer oil, lots of pictures.
International Solar Energy Society , membership society, global outreach.
Central Vermont Solar & Wind , commercial site, but it offers a great overview of what is involved with getting off the grid. Easy to understand, which is something when we’re talking about alternative energy. Their packages run $500 to $25,000, and all are “hybrid”, featuring wind and solar generating capacity.
Utility Connection , links to nearly 4,000 electrical, gas, water, and waste water utilities.