Silent AC Power Anywhere, Anytimesm
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Silent AC Power Anywhere, AnytimeSM And we mean anywhere. Heart Interface offers an integrated system that includes an inverter/char- ger delivering reliable and dependable back-up power. Complete your electrical system with a Heart Interface Remote Control or LINK Battery Monitor that lets you know how much time you have left in your batteries. Call today or visit our website for a dealer near you. Heart Interface / 21440 68th Ave. S. / Kent, WA 98032 ® Tel: 253-872-7225 / FAX: 253-872-3412 www.heartinterface.com photo courtesy of ceder creek bed & breakfast. www.cedarcreektreehouse.com BP SOLAR BP Solar: we’re an advanced solar energy company. We manufacture premium solar modules and we’re on the leading edge with new, low cost technologies. But we do much more... We provide power solutions to enhance your quality of life and we have joined with industry leaders to bring you the best line of renewable energy products available, all backed by a name that is known and trusted throughout the world. USA: American Energy Technologies, Ltd. - Florida Effective Solar Products - Louisiana Intermountain Solar Technologies - Utah Toll Free: 800-874-2190 Toll Free: 888-824-0090 Toll Free: 800-671-0169 Phone: 904-284-0552 E-Mail: [email protected] Phone: 504-537-0090 Phone: 801-501-9353 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Dankoff Solar Products - New Mexico Internet: www.effectivesolar.com Internet: www.intermountainsolar.com Toll Free: 888-396-6611 Phone: 505-473-3800 Alternative Solar Products - California Talmage Solar Engineering - Maine E-mail: [email protected] Toll Free: 800-229-7652 Toll Free: 888-967-5945 Alternative Energy Engineering - California Phone: 909-308-2366 Phone: 207-967-5945 Toll Free: 800-777-6609 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Phone: 707-923-2277 Internet: www.alternativesolar.com Internet: www.talmagesolar.com E-mail: [email protected] Internet: www.alt-energy.com BP Solar, the world leader in solar electric systems, provides everything you need in a single package. And trained technicians from your BP Solar dealer can install the whole system in about a day, without disrupting your home or current electrical wiring. The BP Solar Electric Systems use “photovoltaics” or “PV” to convert sunshine directly into electricity. The power feeds into your home’s existing electrical circuits energizing lights and appliances. Any extra power flows out to the power grid, actually spinning your utility meter backwards! For more information or the name of a dealer near you, just call one of our trusted partners listed below. Reliable Technology From An Industry Leader BP SOLAR Business opportunities now available - join our team. CANADA: Powersource Energy Systems - Powersource Energy Systems - Alberta Powersource Energy Systems - Ontario British Columbia Toll Free: 888-544-2115 Toll Free: 888-544-2115 Toll Free: 888-544-2115 Phone: 403-291-9039 E-mail: [email protected] Phone: 250-544-2115 E-mail: [email protected] Internet: www.powersourceenergy.com E-mail: [email protected] Internet: www.powersourceenergy.com Internet: www.powersourceenergy.com Trans-Canada Energie - Quebec Solar Solutions - Manitoba Toll Free: 800-661-3330 Toll Free: 800-285-7652 Phone: 450-348-2370 Phone: 204-632-5554 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Internet: www.worldbatteries.com Internet: www.solarsolutions.ca HOME POWER THE HANDS-ON JOURNAL OF HOME-MADE POWER Issue #75 February / March 2000 Features More Features 8 20 KW Wind Intertie 52 The Extra Mile Tim & Corinne A lot of people have big McCorkendale put up a big motorhomes, but David old Jacobs bird. They cover Barton added 1,200 watts of their power needs, heat their PV and now has even more family room, and still sell freedom and independence. energy back to the stingy 60 Powering the Movement utility. A temporary PV system 18 Sometimes DC is All You provides the power for the Need Indigenous Environmental John Surber and Roberta Network’s ninth annual Corrigan power their north Protecting Mother Earth woods vacation cabin on a Conference. small DC-only system...and it covers all their needs. 68 Himalayan Hydro Makes Hydronic Heat Home Done, By Hand 26 Dennis Ramsey oversees Melanie Chacon put together and implements the her own ranch, her own installation of a hydro- power system (wind and powered hydronic heating solar), and keeps her system for a dental clinic at animals, all by feel. 11,500 feet in Namche 34 PV in the Kenyan Bush Bazaar, Nepal. Frank Jackson, Mark Hankins, and the Energy GoPower Alternatives Africa team provide power for a bush 100 Miracle Battery? camp at the Centre for Shari Prange explores the Wildlife Management new battery technologies, Studies. The project is used pro and con, and debunks as a training ground for the myth of the miracle future PV techs in Africa. battery. 44 Corporate Model Lil’ Orphan EV The Kyocera corporation 108 walks its talk by building one There are a lot of factory of the most efficient office EVs left in the world built by buildings to date. Their companies no longer on the corporate headquarters in books. Mike Brown gives Kyoto, Japan has 214,000 advice on rehabilitating watts of photovoltaics. And these orphaned wheels. that’s just the beginning. Cover: The desert dawn smiles on Tim & Corinne McCorkendale’s 20 KW Jacobs wind generator near the Sandia Mountains in New Mexico. Guerrilla Solar More Columns Access and Info 74 Guerrilla 0008 114 Word Power Access Data Home Power The Trace MicroSine opens “Photovoltaic cell” defined. PO Box 520 the guerrilla solar movement 122 IPP Ashland, OR 97520 USA to most budgets. This Editorial and Advertising: guerrilla just plugs 130 watts IEEE929 drags on; solar Phone: 530-475-3179 of PV into any old outlet. guerrilla international; PV Fax: 530-475-0836 market report; bargain Subscriptions and Back Issues: hunters seek help; etc. 800-707-6585 VISA / MC Things that Work! 541-512-0201 Outside USA 128 Code Corner Internet Email: 76 1,100 Watts Clean 2002, a code odyssey. It’s [email protected] Exeltech’s XP1100 inverter. time for your two cents. World Wide Web: www.homepower.com 84 Big Red 134 Home & Heart Paper and Ink Data Kathleen is high & dry on her Surrette’s 6-CS-25PS, 820 Cover paper is 50% recycled amp-hour, lead-acid battery. newest appliance. (10% postconsumer / 40% preconsumer) Recovery Gloss from S.D. Warren Paper 88 Sealed for Your Protection 142 The Wizard Company. Now that we know our Interior paper is 50% recycled Concorde’s Sun Xtender (50% postconsumer) RePrint Web, 60# sealed absorbed glass mat enemy... elemental chlorine free, from Stora Dalum, Odense, Denmark. battery. 152 Ozonal Notes Printed using low VOC vegetable based A short history of HP. inks. Homebrew Printed by St. Croix Press, Inc., Regulars New Richmond, Wisconsin 116 Pulse Width Modulator Legal Dimmer or speed controller, Home Power (ISSN 1050-2416) is 6 From Us to You published bi-monthly for $22.50 per year 12 or 24 volt. at PO Box 520, Ashland, OR 97520. International surface subscription for 80 HP’s Subscription Form US$30. Periodicals postage paid at Ashland, OR, and at additional mailing Book Review offices. POSTMASTER send address corrections to Home Power, PO Box 520, 81 Home Power’s Biz Page Ashland, OR 97520. From Space to Earth 136 Copyright ©2000 Home Power, Inc. John Perlin writes the 138 Happenings—RE Events All rights reserved. Contents may not be definitive history of reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission. photovoltaics. 143 Letters to Home Power While Home Power magazine strives for clarity and accuracy, we assume no responsibility or liability for the use of this Columns information. 155 Q&A 94 Power Politics The police riot in Seattle. 157 MicroAds The international mega- corps flex again. 160 Index to Advertisers Recycled Paper Recyclable Paper People Tor Allen Joy Anderson Eva Blake Mike Brown Melanie Chacon Sam Coleman G. Forrest Cook Roberta L. Corrigan Mark Hankins Steen Hansen Anne Wallis Haynie Frank Jackson Anita Jarmann Kathleen Jarschke-Schultze Stan Krute Don Kulha Don Loweburg Harry Martin Bedah Mize Tim McCorkendale Corinne McCorkendale Johnny Weiss of Solar Energy International and HP Associate Editor Ian Karen Perez Woofenden with Ian’s 112 foot tree-mounted Whisper 1000 wind generator. Richard Perez rapped up in our renewable energy world, it’s easy to forget that the Shari Prange technology we love is not well known. One trip to the big city reminds me Dennis Ramsey Wthat almost all of the thousands of people I see have very little idea that our industry even exists. They don’t know that we have the tools to harness natural forces Benjamin Root to power our homes and businesses. Compared to these “normal” folks, we’re part of Connie Said the fringe. Joe Schwartz But is it fringe, or is it cutting edge? At first glance, many people within our industry John R. Surber think it’s crazy to put a wind generator in a tree. (Add two RE maniacs hanging on it, James Thompson and you really have a questionable situation!) But going out on the edge, following something we’re excited about and believe in is how we make progress as individuals, Tom Vineski as an industry, and as a society. Michael Welch This is not to say that every wild-eyed scheme we think of is a good idea. I definitely John Wiles discourage people from trying to reinvent the wheel or do “creative” projects in a Dave Wilmeth reckless way (and that includes tree towers). But the folks who have made major strides in bringing progress to the world haven’t let the naysayers stop them.