Denver Botanical Garden

Hydroponics in Space?!?!?!

 Check it out!

http://www.challenger.org/christaslessons/hydroponics-chamber/

 

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/veggie.html

Solar/Wind power, All the cool kids are doing it

                            
   Solar Power is the conversion of sunlight and wind to energy. Yes, its that simple and free!!! Obviously you have an initial investment but this should pay itself off. Whether it be lowering your electric bill or just having that ease of mind that when everyone else in the neighborhood has no power you  are the shining star on the block.

This is a household Solar Unit that First consists of a 24 ft tall windmill with blades that span 9' in diameter. This bad boy is supported by stakes and wires mounting it in place. As the blades spin they create electricity that runs through wires ran underground to a control charger. Along with the windmill there are solar panels on the roof which are also ran with wires to its own converter.

The control charger and the converter your panels are hooked up to then takes the electricity and sends it to the batteries. The batteries you are using are most likely like a camper battery. These produce Direct Current which needs to be converted to Alternating Current in order to power your household. These two boxes act as a buffer in between the batteries, No power should be going directly to the batteries.


You can have as many panels as you like. But the more panels the larger Control Charger you will need to accommodate them.




So how does all this come together to allow you to use the energy you are producing? Below you will find a picture of the heart of it all.

The blue box on the left is your control charger (wired to your windmill). This takes the energy produced and sends it right to the batteries. The Silver box with the yellow and red wire nuts on it is what your panels are ran to, these too are sending that power to the batteries. All wired up as though they are one big battery. Connected to all of the batteries is the inverter. This box is sending the electricity stored in the batteries to your house panel. Next to that was a self installed transfer switch. What this does it it acts as a jumper from your house panel fuses. Your house panel has and on/off for each fuse but the transfer switch allows you to have an extra option for battery. These come in many different sizes depending on how many fuses you are jumping. This one has 6 transfer switches which allows him to power up to 6 different circuits.

Side note: The tubing on the batteries is leading all the harmful and flammable gases that batteries produce when they are over charged and exhausts it outside.