Zero Net Energy - January 13, 2019

Building Off the Grid - DIY Network TV show with 34 episodes as of December 2018
https://www.diynetwork.com/shows/building-off-the-grid

Trondheim, Norway’s net energy positive building, Powerhouse Brattørkaia, "will generate more energy in its operational phase than it consumes through the production of buiding materials, construction, operation, and disposal of the building” or Snøhetta strikes again
https://www.powerhouse.no/en/prosjekter/powerhouse-brattorkaia/
https://www.citylab.com/environment/2018/12/norway-energy-positive-building-powerhouse-snohetta/577918/

Rocky Mountain Institute’s Carbon-Free City Handbook
https://rmi.org/insight/the-carbon-free-city-handbook/

Rocky Mountain Institute’s Carbon-Free Region Handbook
https://www.rmi.org/insight/carbon-free-regions-handbook/

Nearly zero-energy buildings
https://ec.europa.eu/energy/en/topics/energy-efficiency/buildings/nearly-zero-energy-buildings
Zero net energy Project Guide
https://newbuildings.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/GtZ-ZNEProjectGuide_FINAL.pdf

Santa Monica City Residential Zero Net Energy Guide for New Construction
https://www.smgov.net/uploadedFiles/Departments/OSE/Categories/Green_Building/SantaMonica_Residential%20ZNE%20Guide.pdf
Green Building Energy Code Overview
https://www.smgov.net/Departments/OSE/Categories/Green_Building/Energy_Code_Overview.aspx

UN17 Village, a sustainable residential development of 400 new homes to Copenhagen, Denmark, “the first building project in the world that translates all 17 of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into tangible action.”
https://lendager.com/en/news/un17-village-the-worlds-most-sustainable-building-project/
https://inhabitat.com/ecovillage-in-copenhagen-strives-to-meet-all-17-sustainable-development-goals/

Dutch microgrid communities with up to 90% renewables
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/09/these-dutch-microgrid-communities-can-supply-90-of-their-energy-needs/

Zero Energy House - CleanTech Sundsvall
https://vimeo.com/77403726
from http://www.cleantechregion.com

Pax Futura - Seattle 35 unit apartment building built to Passivhaus standards at 5% more per square foot than Seattle code with 50% less annual energy use (and costs)
https://www.livepaxfutura.com/floorplans/
https://www.treehugger.com/green-architecture/small-apartment-building-seattle-could-be-model-solving-our-housing-and-energy-crises.html

Short video on the Netherland's Energiesprong, a program for ongoing deep energy retrofit of existing housing to approach net zero energy
https://vimeo.com/235335180
http://energiesprong.eu
Mass Production of Net Zero Energy Retrofits for Single Family Homes
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/1/9/1824927/-Mass-Production-of-Net-Zero-Energy-Retrofits-for-Single-Family-Homes

Japan plans to develop 2020 Olympics Village into 'hydrogen town’
https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/japan-plans-develop-2020-olympics-village-into-hydrogen-town-1482091

Mass Production of Net Zero Energy Retrofits for Single Family Homes

Energiesprong (https://energiesprong.org) is doing deep energy retrofits for existing single family homes using mass produced modular systems and installing solar panels to make old buildings net zero energy, meaning they produce as much energy as they consume.  They have completed 5000 houses since 2012 and plan over 14,000 with associated programs in France, Germany, the UK, Italy, and New York State.  

 and associated programs have done about 6000 houses in France, while they are just beginning in Germany, the UK, Italy, and New York state.

E=0: Transforming Homes into the Future, is a documentary film project, funded by Interreg North West, that chronicles the efforts being made in the past 3 years, to establish a net zero energy housing ecosystem across Europe.

More at https://energiesprong.org/e0-transforming-homes-into-the-future-the-movie/

Looks like a Green New Deal to me.  I’ll have to see if Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and my Governor, Charlie Baker, know about this.

After the second Energy Crisis in 1979, Jimmy Carter wanted to insulate 90% of our homes by 1985 and get 20% of our energy from renewables by the year 2000.  Too bad the Reagan Administration stopped that idea dead in its tracks.  It’s one reason why I say “Reagan killed us.”

That energy policy wasn't about climate change.  It was about energy independence because of the two in a decade Energy Crises (1973 & 1979) under Nixon, Ford, and Carter and included much shale oil fossil foolishness as well.

In 1980, the goal was 20% from renewables by 2000.  Renewable energy today, in 2019,  two decades later than that, is at about 18% (source:  http://fortune.com/2018/02/18/renewable-energy-us-power-mix/) .

My Approach to Climate Change

1.

My approach to climate change is
100% renewables ASAP
zero emissions economy ASAP
carbon drawdown ASAP
geotherapy (not geoengineering) ASAP

Resources: http://drawdown.org
https://www.crcpress.com/Geotherapy-Innovative-Methods-of-Soil-Fertility-Restoration-Carbon-Sequestration/Goreau-Larson-Campe/p/book/9781466595392
http://bio4climate.org
http://soil4climate.org
http://solarray.blogspot.com

At least as a thought experiment.

2.
I start from Solar IS Civil Defense, which is necessary NOW
in case of weather or other natural disaster, whatever you believe about Climate Change or Sanity Clause.

10 bucks buys a solar light and charger today, just go Internet shopping. That's a personal electric solar civil defense, the basics of light, communications, and extra batteries. 10 bucks is also the price of a hand-crank light and charger. Add a bicycle charger (or electric bike) and you have "free" electricity for as long as the batteries hold a charge and the chargers work.

More at http://solarray.blogspot.com/2018/09/personal-power-set.html

3.

Simple solar and energy efficiency can be taught, to those who want to know, fairly easily and can be quite effective

A South-Facing Window Is Already a Solar Collector
https://youtu.be/FdGAdEq242M
Solar windowbox air heater
https://youtu.be/lTOe2OYSPlw
Insulating Roller Shade

https://youtu.be/jEh9Bq4qQB8

Six pack of solar

https://youtu.be/KTLBsxI-Xl8

Recycled solar

https://youtu.be/KTLBsxI-Xl8

I used to do workshops on simple solar and broke one down into a series of short videos:

Part 1 at https://youtu.be/IdPftGMNbEA

the others are available at https://www.youtube.com/user/gmoke/videos

4.
Simple solar can become an economic lever and non-violent economic practice, a technological adaptation of Gandhi's concept of swadeshi, local production, what he called the heart of satyagraha. I imagine a solar swadeshi (http://solarray.blogspot.com/2005/05/solar-swadeshi-hand-made-electricity.html) that becomes a solar walkaway or an electrical grid boycott to add a little impetus to the growing tide of Extinction Rebellion (anybody else see a resemblance to the Trainites of John Brunner's Sheep Look Up?) and the Sunrise Movement.

5.  Since scientists tell us that we have about a decade to do something to reduce climate calamity, somebody should be scheduling out the next 10 years, 3,650 days, for climate action, month by month, week by week, day by day to do what is ecologically necessary to restore the atmosphere to preindustrial levels of CO2 (270 parts per million) ASAP.

Zero Net Energy - December 8, 2018

PROJECT HOPE - Biophilic Carbon Negative Residential Design
http://www.greennewworld.org

Technova College opens a nearly net zero energy building
https://www.cepezed.com/messages/680-opening-sustainable-and-collaborative-technova-college
https://inhabitat.com/solar-powered-technova-college-nearly-hits-net-zero-energy-in-the-netherlands/

Glass house working towards net zero in the Spanish desert
https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p06nxjlj/the-miraculous-house-in-the-middle-of-the-desert

Canadian Green Building Council’s Zero Carbon Building Initiative
https://www.cagbc.org/CAGBC/Zero_Carbon/Information_and_Resources/CAGBC/Zero_Carbon/The_CaGBC_Zero_Carbon_Building_Program.aspx

Calgary’s MacKimmie Tower to be rebuilt as a zero carbon building
https://transsolar.com/news/redevelopment-mackimmie-tower-calgary
https://canada.constructconnect.com/joc/news/projects/2018/04/calgarys-mackimmie-tower-completely-transformed

Carbon neutral house in Australia using recycled materials
https://www.treehugger.com/green-architecture/house-a-whispering-smith.html
http://www.whisperingsmith.com.au/house-a/
https://www.instagram.com/whisperingsmitharchitecture/

Carbon neutral home on the Isle of Man
https://www.fosterlomas.com/#portfolio/sartfell-cottage-isle-of-man
https://www.wallpaper.com/architecture/sartfell-rural-retreat-foster-lomas-uk
https://inhabitat.com/stunning-carbon-neutral-home-uses-traditional-materials-to-create-a-synergy-with-its-natural-setting/

Proposed “Tulip” zero combustion, solar-powered high-rise for London
https://thetulip.com
https://www.fosterandpartners.com/news/archive/2018/11/the-tulip-a-new-public-cultural-and-tourist-attraction-proposed-for-the-city-of-london/
https://inhabitat.com/foster-partners-designs-solar-powered-tulip-observation-tower-for-london/

Harvard’s House Zero - net zero energy living laboratory
http://harvardcgbc.org/research/housezero/
http://harvardcgbc.org
https://inhabitat.com/harvard-unveils-snohetta-designed-housezero-for-sustainable-plus-energy-living/

Near net zero ecocity planned for the Maldives
https://www.archdaily.com/906503/caa-architects-reveals-futuristic-eco-city-design-for-the-maldives
https://inhabitat.com/futuristic-eco-city-powered-with-renewable-energy-is-unveiled-for-the-maldives/

"French multinational electric utility ENGIE announced on Thursday that it had signed a 50-year strategic alliance with the city of Greater Springfield in Queensland, Australia, to help transition it to being a zero net energy city by 2038.”
https://cleantechnica.com/2018/12/07/engie-signs-deal-to-develop-net-zero-city-in-northern-australia/

"Medford, Massachusetts partnered with Solect Energy to install a 235 kilowatt (kW) rooftop solar system on the roof of its new Department of Public Works (DPW) building. The new system is comprised of 588 LG solar modules and is expected to cover 100% of the electricity usage over an average year, producing about 300,000 kilowatt-hours per year.”

https://cleantechnica.com/2018/12/08/the-city-of-medford-to-save-11000-per-year-with-new-rooftop-solar-system/

Zero Net Energy - October 19, 2018

Zero Carbon Race - The first STATE to achieve a NET ZERO CARBON ECONOMY with the BEST QUALITY OF LIFE WINS.

http://fp2w.org

ECO360 - energy positive house in Tel Aviv

https://www.archdaily.com/897169/eco360-geotectura-studio

https://inhabitat.com/plus-energy-home-is-a-beacon-of-sustainability-in-tel-aviv/

One DeLisle - Toronto tower with interesting structure that may (I’m not quite sure) offset all its energy through local district heating system

http://studiogang.com/project/one-delisle

https://inhabitat.com/studio-gang-to-sustainably-grow-toronto-with-this-energy-efficient-tower/

Online building carbon footprint tools

http://www.afd.fr/en/afd-carbon-footprint-tool-projects-users-guide-and-methodology

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/07/180719101258.htm

Editorial Comment:  “[USA] GSA Carbon Footprint Tool  Decommissioned Spring 2017”  

Teenagers from Romania, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Norway design a building of the future combining energy and resource efficiency with vertical gardens

https://amp-indiatimes-com.amp.cloudflare.com/v/s/amp.indiatimes.com/technology/science-and-future/6-teens-designed-this-world-s-most-green-building-to-help-fight-climate-change-overpopulation-350165.html

Ask This Old House visits a net zero community, Whisper Valley near Austin, TX - some units available for below market rates

https://www.thisoldhouse.com/watch/net-zero-community-live-edge-ask-toh

19 cities commit to net zero carbon buildings by 2030

https://cleantechnica.com/2018/08/27/from-london-to-new-york-19-cities-commit-to-net-zero-carbon-buildings-by-2030/

Sustainable City Dubai - "a working model of what the future could look like"

https://www.thesustainablecity.ae

Editorial Comment:  We need to think a little more about what the future could look like

Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment - 38 signatories made up of 12 businesses, 22 cities, and four states and regions from around the world at the Global Climate Action Summit in SF:  "All buildings within direct control of the organisation to operate at net zero carbon by 2030, and all buildings by 2050"

http://www.worldgbc.org/thecommitment

Chinese concept net zero house

https://inhabitat.com/mad-unveils-biophilic-home-of-the-future-that-produces-all-its-own-energy-in-china/

This Old House building a net zero house in Jamestown, RI

https://www.thisoldhouse.com/watch/jamestown-net-zero-house

ZNE Living in Mid-Coast Maine in Falmouth, ME - NESEA tour on Friday, November 9, 2018

http://nesea.org/11-09-18

Personal Power Set

$10 solar light and charger










$10 hand crank light and charger

$60 bike charger

A $80 personal power set:  solar, hand cranked, bicycle power electricity for lights, communications, and basic necessities any time anywhere.  All of these are now commodity products produced in mass quantities available globally online.  

First Wind, Solar, Battery Utility Scale Energy Installation: Kennedy Energy Park

"Kennedy Energy Park is a world-first wind, solar and energy storage facility located in Flinders Shire in central north Queensland [Australia]. The project is owned by Windlab and Eurus. Construction has commenced and it will be generating by late 2018."

43 MW wind from 12 Vestas wind machines (67 meter/ 220 foot blade length)
15MW solar
2 MW/4 MWH battery

Kennedy Energy Park will generate around 210,000 megawatt hours of electricity a year, enough to power  more than 35,000 average Australian homes.

https://kennedyenergypark.com.au

Zero Net Energy - July 13, 2018

Carbon Positive Towers for Stockholm

http://www.kjellandersjoberg.se/en/projects/project/nacka-port/

https://inhabitat.com/this-sustainable-district-in-sweden-features-carbon-positive-towers/

Carbon Neutral Headquarters for Solvay in Brussels

http://www.shl.dk/new-solvay-campus/

https://inhabitat.com/schmidt-hammer-lassen-architects-wins-bid-for-carbon-neutral-solvay-hq-in-brussels/

Sendero Verde - Passive House development of 650 affordable housing units in East Harlem, NYC

https://handelarchitects.com/project/sendero-verde

https://www.treehugger.com/green-architecture/passive-house-buildings-go-small-extra-large.html

New Block Sustainable Design concept earns a patent - “live green roof" included

http://nggpartners.com/pdf/Socal-re.com-3.23.18.pdf

“Ask This Old House” visits a net zero community

https://www.thisoldhouse.com/watch/net-zero-community-live-edge-ask-toh

Futurology:  the New Home in 2050 from UK’s National House Building Council Foundation

https://www.nhbcfoundation.org/publication/nf80-futurology-the-new-home-in-2050/

https://www.treehugger.com/green-architecture/futurology-new-study-looks-design-home-2050.html

Net positive energy kindergarten in Switzerland

https://inhabitat.com/plus-energy-school-produces-enough-surplus-energy-to-power-50-homes/

http://www.inskop.ch/ante-portas/ - in German

Net positive energy classroom in UK

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/06/180620193729.htm

https://inhabitat.com/uks-first-energy-positive-classroom-produces-1-5x-the-energy-it-uses/

http://specific.eu.com

Net Zero Sawmill House in CA's high desert

https://inhabitat.com/net-zero-sawmill-house-is-100-self-sufficient-in-californias-high-desert/

https://www.olsonkundig.com/projects/sawmill-canyon-retreat/

Editorial Comment:  there are net zero or near net zero buildings for the Arctic and Antarctic but net zero for deserts may be just as important

American Geophysical Union is rebuilding its headquarters as a net zero energy building

https://cleantechnica.com/2018/07/06/the-american-geophysical-union-is-converting-its-headquarters-into-a-net-zero-energy-building/

The Spark - net energy positive data center for Bergen, Norway designed by Snøhetta, one of the most advanced designers of advanced buildings today

https://sparkcity.no

https://snohetta.com/projects/388-the-spark

Zero Net Energy - May 10, 2018

Design for World’s First Energy Positive Hotel in the Arctic Circle
https://snohetta.com/projects/366-svart
https://inhabitat.com/snohetta-unveils-designs-for-worlds-first-energy-positive-hotel-in-the-arctic-circle/
Editorial Comment:  Snøhetta is doing more and more and more of these ground-breaking projects.  Good for them.

Net Zero Energy retrofit for Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum in San Jose, CA
https://cleantechnica.com/2018/03/07/mynt-systems-inc-cost-effective-net-zero-carbon-retrofit%E2%80%A8/

Disappear Retreat:  zero energy, zero waste, zero water microhouse
https://coulson.co/disappear-retreat
https://inhabitat.com/zero-energy-tiny-home-has-a-near-invisible-footprint/

Charenton-Bercy net zero skyscraper by Skidmore Owings and Merrill in Paris 
https://www.dezeen.com/2018/03/14/paris-garden-skyscraper-charenton-bercy-som-most-sustainable-buildings-europe/
https://inhabitat.com/soms-net-zero-paris-skyscraper-will-be-one-of-the-most-sustainable-buildings-in-europe/

Architecture at zero competition
http://www.architectureatzero.com
https://inhabitat.com/pyramidal-floating-buildings-envisioned-for-a-self-sustaining-city-on-the-sea/
http://www.architectureatzero.com/2018-winners/

Oslo Airport smart city will be the world’s first energy-positive airport city with the capacity to sell surplus energy to surrounding buildings and communities
https://inhabitat.com/oslos-new-airport-city-could-power-the-entire-surrounding-community/

CORE 9 carbon positive house
https://www.archdaily.com/891537/core-9-beaumont-concepts
http://www.beaumontconcepts.com.au

Canada’s first net positive carbon multi-tenant building 
http://www.coragroup.com/project/evolv1/
https://www.treehugger.com/green-architecture/heres-first-office-building-certified-under-canadas-zero-carbon-building-standard.html

USA’s first passive house plus, retrofit of a brownstone built in 1900’s
http://www.baxtingui.com/project/passive-house-carroll-gardens/
https://www.archdaily.com/892759/brooklyn-passive-house-plus-baxt-ingui-architects

Self-sustaining modular floating city design
http://www.waya.it

Tidal powered net positive energy hotel for Hainan
https://inhabitat.com/this-futuristic-energy-positive-hotel-will-harness-power-from-the-tides/

Everyday Solar

There's a lot of solar street furniture that's appeared around town in the last few years.




Like this solar garbage can.

Or this bench with solar phone charger.

And this solar powered pay station for the local bike share.

There are even solar signs.


Increasingly, solar electric installations, big and small, are becoming everyday objects.

The renewables transition is well underway and gaining speed.  Solar is weaving itself into the fabric of this 21st century world.  Soon it will be almost invisible, ubiquitous, and available 24/7/365.

Zero Net Energy - January 19, 2018

Clovis, CA net zero energy development

https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/net-zero-energy-community-coming-to-californias-central-valley

The Zero House - Zero net energy, Zero carbon footprint, Zero toxins, Zero construction waste

http://endeavourcentre.org/zero-house/

https://www.treehugger.com/slideshows/green-architecture/zero-house-big-nothing/ - slide show

Transforming the Real Estate Market: Scaling Net-Zero Energy Homes at No Additional Up-front Cost

https://rmi.org/news/transforming-real-estate-market-scaling-net-zero-energy-homes-no-additional-front-cost/

REACT home produces its own energy and food

https://inhabitat.com/food-producing-react-home-sustainably-and-intelligently-adapts-to-your-needs/

https://www.solardecathlon.gov

Net zero residence built out of recycled materials

http://www.dwelldevelopment.com/portfolio/genesee-park-net-zero/

https://inhabitat.com/net-zero-genesee-park-residence-in-seattle-is-built-out-of-recycled-materials/

Innenco says they can reduce existing buildings' energy use by 58-90% using the buildings’ own thermal mass, heat pumps, and chillers

http://www.innenco.com

https://inhabitat.com/this-new-energy-concept-from-sweden-can-make-any-building-net-zero/

Oxford, UK plans zero emissions zone for vehicles

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/oct/11/oxford-aims-to-cut-air-pollution-car-ban-zero-emissions-zone

Passivhaus for 6,500 people

http://theecoarchitect.com/case-study-heidelberg-bahnstadt/

from the Eco Architect blog about all things Passivhaus http://theecoarchitect.com/#blog-home

Reversible tent design for homeless

https://www.billionbricks.org

https://weatherhyde.org

https://inhabitat.com/reversible-weatherhyde-tent-saves-lives-in-extreme-weather/

Net zero building over-view 2018

https://cleantechnica.com/2018/01/11/zero-hero-zero-net-energy-buildings-reach-new-communities-promising-savings-renewable-energy/

More Than Housing in Zurich, Switzerland, with 13 buildings, nearly 400 housing units, 35 retail units and large shared community spaces built to 2000 Watt per person standard where 1,200 residents and 150 employees live and work

https://www.world-habitat.org/world-habitat-awards/winners-and-finalists/more-than-housing/#award-content

Maersk Tower in Copenhagen with "Denmark’s most energy-efficient laboratories"

http://www.cfmoller.com/p/-en/Udbygning-af-Panum-komplekset-Koebenhavns-Universitet-i2732.html

Editorial Comment:  Living in Cambridge, MA, the energy-efficiency of laboratories is of increasing importance as we work towards becoming a zero emissions city

DIY Solar Systems for Puerto Rico and Other Emergencies or Disasters

Jehu Garcia is designing and explaining how to build DIY simple solar systems for Puerto Rico and other emergencies on Youtube: 

$400 solar system https://youtu.be/LI132cvpp2U 

$500 solar system https://youtu.be/m04CXhoQ2jU 

Checking in with the World's Winds

I like to see the maps of the Arctic Jet Stream every day or so (http://squall.sfsu.edu/gif/jetstream_norhem_00.gif).
They look like dragons and other creatures
chasing each other around the North Pole.

Then I look at the Global Map of Wind, Weather, and Ocean conditions (https://earth.nullschool.net)
which animates the winds and ocean currents in what seems like real-time
in full color
coded according to the speed.
I look for where the rare red winds are.

Usually, last, I pull up the World Cloud Cover map (http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/data/comp/wv/LATEST_WV.gif)
to see how it relates to the other two images
and make sure the equatorial rainforests are
still making rain.

Sometimes, late at night 
I look at the Northern Lights 
from the Churchill, Manitoba Northern Studies Centre live camera (https://youtu.be/kDWh0ijwCp0).
Even when the Northern Lights aren’t shining,
I’ll often just
listen to the sounds
of that distant wind.

It reminds me where I live.

The Cost of Personal Solar Power

                                                                                       

 I bought a solar hand crank radio flashlight with USB mini plug DC output about 5 years ago.  It cost around $30.  It provided in one package what we are supposed to have on hand in case of emergency or disaster - light,  cell phone or radio, extra batteries - in one package.  This is also entry level electricity for the over 1 billion people around the world who don't have access now.


A month or two ago, I bought a second solar hand crank flashlight.  No radio, no DC output.  It cost around $4.

Before the invasion of Afghanistan, NATO forces distributed solar/dynamo AM/FM/SW radios to the civilian population. After the invasion, they gave away more.  The NATO radios charge only the internal hardwired battery. A single additional circuit would allow them to charge external batteries. If the solar/dynamo could charge batteries, then you could use batteries in rotation, charging one set while using another. The solar/dynamo would be a source of electricity day or night, by sunlight or muscle power, at least for the lifetime of the batteries, crank, and PV panel. 

Combine this with bicycle generators that charge batteries in the course of daily riding and you have the possibility of providing survival level power to everyone in the world now.

In 2016, the world reportedly spent $4.61 billion per day on the military or $1686 billion, equivalent to 2.2% of the global gross domestic product (GDP) and $227 per person. 
Source:  https://www.sipri.org/sites/default/files/Trends-world-military-expenditure-2016.pdf

Solar electricity now costs from $4 to $30 AA survival or emergency and disaster power.

The image I have is of a
solar swadeshi, hand-made electricity.
Instead of turning the handle
of the charkha spinning wheel
making thread 
for khadi cloth
an hour a day as Gandhi did,
turning the crank of a dynamo 
or riding a bicycle a half hour a day,
the direct production of survival power
for yourself, your family, and your community,
swadeshi, local production.

Solar Swadeshi
http://solarray.blogspot.com/2005/05/solar-swadeshi-hand-made-electricity.html
Solar Insurgency
http://solarray.blogspot.com/2007/11/solar-insurgency.html
Solar Is Civil Defense, Illustrated
http://solarray.blogspot.com/2008/05/solar-is-civil-defense-illustrated.html
Solar Tactics in Afghanistan
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2007/1/25/294946/-
Under-Utilized Installed Solar Capacity in Afghanistan
http://solarray.blogspot.com/2009/07/under-utilized-installed-solar-capacity.html
Sun Money
http://solarray.blogspot.com/2014/05/sun-money.html

Solar Backpack and Bicycle Back Up

My backpack became a solar backpack when I sewed a $5 solar tail light and a $10 solar headlight to it.  The plastic blister pack is the holder for the headlight.  I've been assembling my own solar backpacks from off the shelf materials for close to a decade and a half now and this is the third version.

This Solar headlight (links to sellers are from a search made on 11/26/17 and you should probably check others out even though these are now commodity products made in gross quantities)

https://www.gearbest.com/bike-lights/pp_425123.html

costs about $10.  I've been using one for a year or two and it works fine.  The on/off button top came off during the first winter but it hasn't affected the switch's performance.

The solar light comes with a mini-USB to USB plug so I can supply battery power to another small device.  

This Solar tail light

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA67040E8150

costs about $5 and, again, I've been using two for a year or two, one on the rear fender of my bike and another sewn to my backpack, given one or two away, and they work fine. 

I have just ordered this bicycle chain charger with battery and USB connection for about $50 

https://www.bonanza.com/listings/Bicycle-Chain-Charger-to-USB-Dynamo-1000mAh/164100759

I want to see how that works out.

The combination of solar and bicycle power gives anyone essential energy autonomy whatever the state of the grid.  Or the world.

The fact of the matter is, for less than $100 dollars you can have a 5, 10, or 20 year, depending upon the quality of the equipment and based upon my experience, supply of basic electricity:  light, phone, radio, batteries, possibly a computer....

Small solar and bicycle power can also be entry level electrical power for the more than 1 billion people who don't now, in 2017, have access to reliable and affordable electricity.

This is one reason why I say Solar IS Civil Defense.

It is also why I say a Solar Swadeshi (http://solarray.blogspot.com/2005/05/solar-swadeshi-hand-made-electricity.html) is extremely practical and an entry into Gandhian economics, nonviolent economics, and a new sense of independence and self-reliance.

4 Symmetrical Tetrahedra of 5 Platonic Solids

This is a video of a magnetic model of the Cube and the Tetrahedron broken down into its smallest symmetrical tetrahedra, what Buckminster Fuller called the A and B Quanta or mathematicians call Schläfli orthoschemes (I think).

The A and B Quanta make the equilateral triangle Tetrahedron (4 sided solid), square Cube or Hexahedron (6 sided), and equilateral triangle Octahedron (8 sided)

The A Quanta is 1/24th of a Tetrahedron, the smallest symmetrical tetrahedron to make up a Platonic solid.  Here is the net of the A Quanta which can be folded to make the left and right hand versions, both of which are needed.
                                                                           

                                                                                                                                                                             

The B Quanta plus the A Quanta makes the Cube or Hexahedron 
and the Octahedron,
two other Platonic solids
48 A Quanta + 24 B Quanta = 1 Cube
2 Cubes = 1 Octahedron

                                                                                                                                                                                 






A third, the Dodeca Quanta, builds the Dodecahedron

120 Dodeca Quanta = 1 Dodecahedron

And a fourth,
120 Icosa Quanta = 1 Icosahedron

I've made magnetic models of the 5 Platonic solids with the magnets in the centers of the faces of the polyhedra.  The A and B Quanta have the same volumes and I suspect share that volume at the same scale, all four tetrahedra share one common right angle triangle, but I haven't tested that hypothesis.

Since I saw this video, I think the next model should be a set of these Quanta built as class 2 tensegrities with ball magnets at the vertices.  In fact, I'd commission someone to build it, for the right price.
                    

MIT Energy Hackathon Puerto Rico (Caribbean) Challenge Results

The MIT Energy Hackathon began on Friday night, November 3 and ended Sunday morning, November 5.  9 energy challenges were presented to about 300 people for 2 minutes each.  After a take-out dinner, each presenter had the chance to talk with individual and small groups of students for an hour and a half and to check back in over the weekend.   I presented my challenge,  Rebuilding Energy Infrastructure in the Caribbean After the Hurricanes (https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/10/29/1710825/-MIT-Energy-Hackathon-Challenge-Rebuilding-Energy-Infrastructure-in-the-Caribbean-After-the-Hurrica), the only one submitted by an individual not a corporation, as best I could.  There were over 40 teams at the Hackathon working on problems with Shell and GM’s and other’ climate goals, beer and other food and beverage waste treatment, drilling fluids, building energy use, and other topics.

Three teams took the hurricane reconstruction challenge up.  Each of them concentrated on Puerto Rico although I had specifically reminded them of the situation on Barbuda which was a much smaller scale, about 2000 people rather than more than 3 million.  One team redesigned Puerto Rico’s electrical system as modular micro-grids with energy storage to provide 40% of the island's power from renewables within a reasonable time period.  Hawaii, with a population of about 1.5 million, is planning on 70% of its energy from renewables by 2030.  This team intends to keep working on their proposal for another upcoming hackathon.  

The second team proposed an app to identify what areas had electricity and what areas didn't and then link people with energy suppliers and systems, an app which is applicable not only to Puerto Rico but any disaster or emergency aftermath.  The third team would use SolarCoin (https://solarcoin.org/en/node/6), an existing online currency, and blockchain using Mycroft, “an open source Alexa” or Siri, to bootstrap and crowd fund a solar transition for individual and groups as well as community solar installations.  The first team was also thinking of electrical current as currency with blockchain, an authentication or accounting system, something that can lead to what I call a solar swadeshi (http://solarray.blogspot.com/2005/05/solar-swadeshi-hand-made-electricity.html) and, possibly, Gandhian economics (http://hubeventsnotes.blogspot.com/2014/04/inclusive-economics-gandhian-method-and.html).

There were nine finalists.  Two of the finalists were teams that took up the challenge of Puerto Rico:  the app team and the SolarCoin team.  Neither won any of the three top prizes but the SolarCoin team won the best in its challenge.

This particular challenge, building and rebuilding our energy and communications infrastructure in Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, and here in the USA, is an ongoing challenge, a problem that won’t go away without a lot of work.  

There are other discussions about climate resilience and disaster response ongoing, just as natural disasters and man-made emergencies are.  Here’s another set of design challenges that’s open until November 8, 2017:

https://makershare.com/missions/make-difference-hurricane-relief
Design BriefThis mission is time sensitive, as people who are affected by these disasters are in immediate need of solutions. We’ll be closing this mission and implementing the solutions devised November 08th, 2017.  

Field Ready (https://www.fieldready.org/) has pinpointed eight categories of top-priority challenges that you can help with. We ask that you identify a problem where your unique maker powers could make a difference, then contribute your solutions as projects here. Field Ready can disseminate your instructions to its experts in the field who can get prototypes into production, and into the hands of those who really need it.

Choose a category of challenge from the list below. When creating a project, state in the first line which category you’re solving for so it can be easily forwarded on to the proper channels. All viable entries will be reviewed by experts on site and put into use as needed. 

Challenge #1 Desalinated WaterPropose reliable means of obtaining usable water through desalination techniques. 
Challenge #2 Sustainable Means of CookingPropose a safe way of converting seawater and non-potable water to cooking fuel.
Challenge #3 Water StoragePropose techniques to pump water up two stories (10 meters) using found or upcycled materials.
Challenge #4 Sustainable Food & Medicine StoragePower existing refrigerators, using found/upcycled materials like solar panels, to keep milk, medicines and perishables cold.
Challenge #5 Replacement PartsPropose a small, portable casting system that can safely melt found metals into replacement parts. Assume the use of recovered wood from fallen trees as a fuel source.
Challenge #6 TelecommunicationsPropose a system for connecting neighborhoods with local fire/police departments when the communications infrastructure is damaged.
Challenge #7 Maintaining Cleanliness for the Elderly and DisabledPropose a method of rapidly drying clothes and other belongings using little or no power when rain storms, high humidity, windy conditions, and lack of space hinder line-drying.
Challenge #8 Traffic Control 

Propose a temporary traffic control system when traffic signals are out of commission. Assume a lack of personnel to post at most intersections. Your solution should be easily dropped into any intersection and simple enough to program to direct traffic to specific patterns and include a self-contained power source that could last for up to 6 months at a time. 

Field Ready has access to fabrication tools (including woodworking, 3D printers, laser cutters, metal casting) that can be leveraged in the final solutions of projects, though upcycled and easily accessible materials are preferred. If creating an electronic/smart solution, Arduino and Raspberry Pi are preferred as they are both readily available and well known.  

The Make: team will make sure that all makers whose solutions are selected for testing or use by Field Ready teams are kept informed of the impact of their work. The results will be showcased on Maker Share and in Make: Magazine. 

Consult the Rules & Instructions for additional details pertaining to each of the categories listed above.