Smart Solar Japanese Tea Gardens Birdbath

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$159.95

by Tim McDonald

If you are thinking of doing a few upgrades to your garden, have you ever thought of getting a solar powered pump birdbath? In fact, why buy one, when you can make it?

What are the benefits of having a solar powered pump fountain?

The pros to getting one are:

a: Fountains circulate the water, keeping the bird bath from going stagnant

b: It uses none of your main power supply

c: No inverter is needed since the pump operates on direct current.

d: The pump uses minute power (only 6volts) so very few solar panels are needed

e: The fountain usually operates during the day when the birds are out in the sun, so batteries are not essential

f: It is possible to make the entire system your yourself, helping you save money

g: The birdbath can be placed anywhere in your garden, without the need for unsightly wires.

And what does it take to make a solar powered pump birdbath?

The most basic method is to buy a working birdbath with fountain, and then wire up the solar panels.

The alternative is to, and more DIY approach is to buy a birdbath that is ready for a fountain pump to be installed (it has the right holes, and a place for the pump to be installed), and then add the various pump and power components.

If you decide to make your own fountain, you will need:

The Birdbath:

Here you have a choice of cascading fountains, copper fountains, terracotta birdbaths, resin fountains, or the conventional ceramic birdbath. Just make sure a pump system can be installed on the birdbath.

The Fountain Spout:

This attachment can be source from your nearby hardware store or garden center. It is an optional extra that helps make the water spout out of the top, instead of a small trickle.

Small Fountain Pump:

The next part is buying the small dc pump. A typical 6 volt pump should be adequate, but you may need to go bigger, if the birdbath or water feature is larger than normal.

Thin, Flexible PVC Pipe:

When buying the irrigation for the fountain, it is best not to get piping that is too wide, otherwise the right water pressure will not be maintained and the pump will not work properly. So before you buy the wrong tubing, get advice from your local garden center and see what they use in similarly sized birdbaths

Silicon Sealant:

This is used to seal all joins where the water could escape from, and also to insulate any bare wire from getting wet where it has been joined.

Solar Panels:

This is what makes this birdbath unique to your average water fountain. Depending on what size pump you buy, will need to get enough solar panels for the fountain to work properly. A a typical 6 volt pump, you will require solar panels with a capacity of at least 6 volts. But is better to be on the safe side and get a 12 volt solar panel instead, for times when it is cloudy and for late afternoons.

NB: To get the solar panels, you have 2 choices:

1 : Buy a small commercial portable solar power kit from a department store such as Target.

2: Make your own solar panel. This is actually much easier than people make it out to be. With the right instructions you could build your own panel in an afternoon. If you want to go the diy way, then keep reading…

For the solar panel to operate effectively it needs to be fitted in a frame and angled in the direction of the sun. Placing it under a tree will not help.

Can anyone build this birdbath?

With the right tools and parts and a the right attitude you could have a fully functional solar powered pump birdbath in an afternoons work. It really depends on your level of experience, but many of our friends (even housewives) have managed to make their own fountains.

A nice added extra is to hook up some batteries to the system. That way you can store any excess power, and the pump could run all day and night. If you do want the fountain to operate for 24 hours, then you will need the following:

1) The right battery:

Since the system is small, a 12 volt battery should be enough. This will be wired up between the charge controller and the pump.

Charge Controller:

This is not that important, but to protect the battery from over-charging and to maximize it lifespan, you should a charge controller that sits between the solar panels and the battery.

Over and above it being affordable to build, what I like about putting together my own solar powered pump birdbath, is that once the first one is finished, making the second or third one just gets easier. It could even be a fantastic gift for a close friend or newly wed.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Solar Power for your Home, 2E

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$6.75

by Simon Berrit

The sun shines brightly in the sky providing warmth for the earth. It is also this warmth that we can use to provide energy that is cheap and renewable.

The process is much easier than it used to be. You don’t have to have a strong technical background, or be a ‘techie’ or anything of the sort.

You will need to organize things a little to get yourself going. First requirement is a place that you can use that will be secure and that is exposed to sunlight. A roof being the obvious example. Next is a really high quality instruction manual.

When you are choosing the instruction manual, it would be hard to beat Earth4Energy, although there are many others around.

Once you have secured the instruction manual then you will have all the information that you need to know to get the job done. Much of the equipment is easily available and you may even have some of it lying around at home.

Anything else can be bought from the local Do It Yourself Store. The instructions are written in plain easy to understand English and should not take more than a few days.

If you get yourself into any trouble at any time then if you choose a manual from a company like earth4Energy , they have a support team that will be able to help you.

The end of the process involves getting the batteries connected to the whole system which will allow you to store the power once you are collecting the sunlight. This is of course absolutely vital to the whole process and you will not be able to store your energy with out doing this. If you like you can stop after one panel or continue to build more and more and even get involved in wind turbines and renewable wind energy.

When traditional energy sources are not reliable enough, or when you want to save on your energy bills, you can harness solar or wind energy to cool down your home. And an even better reason to do this is to help clean up the environment by using fewer pollutants in your energy production.

Furthermore, if you’re living off the power grids, and the weather is hot the whole year round, you should definitely consider alternative energy to cool your home. One option is a simple DIY home solar cooling project.

One way of cooling your home is by running water through the house. This can lessen the temperature of the building, while at the same time produce a calming and tranquil effect within the residence. This type of system doesn’t require a lot of energy, and can be run with solar or wind energy. There are buildings that allow lake water to flow through them.

A simple way to get water flowing through your home is by using a basic wind turbine. All you need are three blades, mounting, control system, batteries, tower, and a generator. You can pick a DIY kit online. When choosing the DC motor, be sure it’s adequate to run the pump you’ll be using. You can opt for a low-RPM motor, that generates 12 volts in 200 to 300 RPM.

If you’re making your own blades, you can use an iron pipe, cut in half. Once you have the required number of blades, place them in front of the motor. Then mount a thin, wide, metal object, to catch the wind. The tower should be at least forty feet tall, to be effective. At that height, your wind turbine can sustain the needed speed for the generator to run smoothly.

Some buildings incorporate passive cooling designs, to keep temperatures cool within the house. These can be in the form of awnings, window shades, reflective windows, and trees. You can use sod roof as well. This can help cool down a structure.

If your house has not yet been built, you can choose to use ecologically-friendly materials, such as straw and bale. These can provide proper insulation for your home. This is why you should talk to the construction company about your green requirements.

Both you, and the environment, will benefit when you use alternative energy to cool your home. There will be less carbon dioxide emission in the atmosphere, and as a homeowner you’ll be utilizing resources that are freely available.

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To learn where you can find complete and step-by-step instructions on how to install DIY Wind and Solar Power systems, along with pictures, videos, and and diagrams, please see http://findportablesolarpower.com/diysolarpower/popular-diy-wind-solar-power-guides/
TO learn more about the types of DIY solar power projects you can try at home, please visit http://findportablesolarpower.com/diysolarpower

What would you say if your neighbor told you she was going to install a residential wind generator? You would be impressed – right? The truth is that it is not difficult to install these devices and many homeowners are taking the challenge to install their own residential wind generator as a cost-effective means to utilizing renewable energies.  It isn’t exactly snap-your-fingers easy to build residential wind generators either, but with the proper plans and a motivated installer you can be installing one in no time.

When setting out to install a wind generator, you will need to do some research and purchase an instruction manual or guide to follow.  Remember that you get what you pay for when it comes to instructions.  Make sure you find a manual that is easy to read with detailed instructions.  There are also many online resources and forums to help guide you through your wind generator installing process.

Familiarize yourself with the basics when starting your residential wind power project. There are four basic components to residential wind generators to consider.  You must be familiar with the towers, the batteries, the turbines and the tail and propeller assembly.  The tools generally required to build a home wind generator are simple: you will need wrenches, a saw and a drill along with a few more tools.

One essential item that will need to be purchased when you decide to install a home wind generator is the motor.  The motors on residential wind generators do require regular maintenance and oiling for continued efficiency, but this is a small price to pay for the cost effective energy these systems provide.

A home wind turbine does require a fair bit of real estate for mounting and installation. You will need to consider height, width and ultimate accessibility for periodic maintenance.  Depending on your target energy output, your propellers or blades could get up to 8 feet in diameter (4 ft blades).

It takes a little work to install residential wind generators, but there is really nothing overly complicated about the process and in the end can be fairly inexpensive. Once you are operational and you see your electric bills getting smaller each month, you will realize that it was all worthwhile.

So learn how to install residential wind generators for yourself and take advantage of the opportunities free electricity can provide.

You may be wondering how solar-powered lights work.  Solar lights are used when the sun goes down.  So how is this possible?

First of all, understand that lighting devices which relies on solar power generally use a backup battery to operate.  Solar cells are used to charge the battery during the day, and the battery powers the light during the night.  The solar cells might be attached to the device itself, or might be located nearby.

This type of lighting is often used in remote locations, where conventional power sources are unavailable, and lights can not be connected to the power grid.  They are also used for outdoor lighting, or as landscape lights around the home or garden.

Components of Solar Powered Lights

There are four basic components of a solar powered light.  Many solar lighting systems are sold with these components already integrated, but it is good to know what the components are:

- The solar cells
- The lamp
- A charge controller
- The batteries

When purchasing solar lights, the majority of the cost involved will be for the solar cells.  These are the most expensive parts of the device or system.  Be sure your system is installed within some type of weatherproof housing, so that the solar cells and electrical connections will withstand the elements.  Ensure that the electrical parts are protected from moisture at all times.

The charge controller is like the “brain” of a solar-powered light.  It protects the batteries from overcharging, and maximizes the electrical output of your solar cell array.  It also controls the duration  that the light can operate.  Without a charge controller, your setup will not function properly.

Uses of Solar Lights

Most solar powered lights are used to illuminate outdoor gardens and walkways.  The lights are generally cordless, and you can move them around easily without the need to dig ditches and run the wires underground.

One disadvantage solar lighting has, in comparison to conventional lighting, is that its stored solar power diminishes over time.  That means that while the light may be strong during the first few hours of operation, it will then gradually grow dimmer as the night goes on.  This might not be seen as a disadvantage by some, because most outdoor activities occur during the early evening hours.  Different solar lighting systems also have different capacities, and some last longer than others.

Keep in mind that solar-powered lights depend on the sun to operate, and their performance can be influenced by weather conditions.  If the weather is cloudy or rainy, then there will be less battery power than there would be on a sunny day.  There are also different levels of quality, where solar lights are concerned – the cheaper ones tend to be less efficient and do not last as long.

Hopefully in the near future, improvements in solar technology can make solar lighting less expensive, and more efficient, even during bad weather.

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Anna promotes and educates on the uses of clean energy and solar power.  Visit her website to learn more about home solar power, at http://findportablesolarpower.com/homesolarpower/