Off Grid Winchester
A Resource for Independent and Off Grid Living, Education, & Training

Solar & Wind Power Training, Emergency Preparedness, Survival Tips,
Eco-Friendly & Sustainable Living, Resource Management...

Back to www.OffGridWinchester.com




Important Green Building & Tax Rebate Web Resources

Source: dsireusa.org - database of state renewables and efficiency rebates

state by state tax incentives and rebates for green energy installations, efficiency upgrades, energy audits, and more...

Source: Building Performance Institute, Inc.

an excellent resource for certified contractors, training, green retro-fit contracting advice...

Source: U.S. Green Building Council

certify your green building...

Source: LEED traiing courses from USGBC

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)


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Solar Resources & Parts / Supplies:

Go Green Solar Energy

7 Solar Water Heating System Designs - complitments Back Woods Home Magazine

Back Woods Solar Eletric Systems - parts and supplies

$1.50 per watt solar panels from Back Woods Solar

Wholesale Solar - parts and supplies

Global Sources -- Solar Panel Manufacturers and Suppliers Database

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Solar Lease Programs:

Citizenre Solar Lease Program

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Solar Power Installers in DC metro area:

Continuum Energy Solutions

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Micro-Hyrdro Power Resources:

Energy Systems & Design - Micro-Hydro Power Systems

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Great Off-Grid and Renewable Energy Resources:

Renewable Energy from Mother Earth News -- The best advice on solar, wind, energy efficiency and more.

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Green Home Design / Modular:

Sustainable Design Group - About Earth Homes

Green Steel Homes
Made entirely of recycled, re-claimed steel, these kit homes are long lasting, termite and bug proof, water/mold resistant, and enduring... and the variety and architectural beauty for a kit home is un-matched.

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Residential Energy Auditor Websites

Source: Wellhome, based in Manassas, VA

Source: The Home Energy Detective, based in Manassas, VA


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Cool Alt Energy Video's
what's coming to replace Coal, Oil, Natural Gas and Nuclear:

Solar Updraft Tower video -- click here
Video animation explaining the principle of the Solar Updraft Tower, a simple solar power plant that can provide bulk electrcity at low cost. This particular tower is 1000 meters high and produces 100 Megawatts.
For more information visit www.solar-updraft-tower.com

Cool Energy News

Source: Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) Plant powers 6,000 homes in Seville, Spain
The researchers found that by rearranging the mirrors, or heliostats, in a pattern similar to the spirals on the face of a sunflower, they could reduce the pattern’s “footprint” by 20 percent and increase its potential energy generation. The sunflower-inspired pattern allows for a more compact layout, and minimizes heliostat shading and blocking by neighboring mirrors. The researchers published their results in the journal Solar Energy, and have recently filed for patent protection.

Source: New Type of Inverter Could Drive Down the Cost of Solar Power
The new inverter setup mentioned above involves equipping each solar panel with a small inverter, instead of connecting all solar panels to one large inverter.
Typical solar setups suffer from lower efficiency because of the way the panels are connected, which is in series. A series connection means that electricity flows from one panel, through the other, and then the next, until it reaches the end of the circuit. When one panel is shaded, the power output of the rest of the panels is reduced because the electrical resistance of the shaded panel restricts the flow of electric current to the rest of the panels.

Source: Another zero-emissions powerplant emerges - the Dearman Engine runs on liquid air
The new inverter setup mentioned above involves equipping each solar panel with a small inverter, instead of connecting all solar panels to one large inverter.
Typical solar setups suffer from lower efficiency because of the way the panels are connected, which is in series. A series connection means that electricity flows from one panel, through the other, and then the next, until it reaches the end of the circuit. When one panel is shaded, the power output of the rest of the panels is reduced because the electrical resistance of the shaded panel restricts the flow of electric current to the rest of the panels.

Source: Discovery Could Cheaply Provide Significant Solar Cell Efficiency Boost
According to a recent University of Texas (in Austin) press release, solar cells could soon extract twice as many electrons from each photon of sunlight received. This would be achieved using an organic plastic semiconductor material -- doubling the current solar power efficiency from 15% to 31% for solar energy capture and conversion.



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