How To Build Your Own Solar Panels

By: Michael Davis

So what is a solar panel anyway? It is basically a box that holds an array of solar cells. Solar cells are the things that do the actual work of turning sunlight into electricity. However, it takes a lot of cells to make a meaningful amount of power, and they are very fragile, so the individual cells are assembled into panels. The panels hold enough cells to make a useful amount of power and protect the cells from the elements. It doesn't sound too complicated. I was convinced I could do it myself.

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A Homebuilt Wind Generator You Can Build

By: Michael Davis

"One thing I noticed right away about my property is that most of the time, the wind is blowing. Almost from the moment I bought it, I had the idea of putting up a wind turbine and making some electricity, and later adding some solar panels. This is the story of how I did it. Not with an expensive, store-bought turbine, but with a home-built one that cost hardly anything. If you have some fabricating skills and some electronic know-how, you can build one too."

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From Time: Survival Stores - One Of 10 Ideas Changing The World Right Now!

By Sean Gregory For Time

Stores stink. Yes, they're not selling anything. Open up the business pages any day of the week and you'll see news of shops liquidating, workers getting laid off, retailers bleeding cash. But you can't blame just the economy for consumerism's woes. Think about it: When was the last time you walked into a store and saw, or just felt, something fresh? Most retailers have attacked the recession by discounting their products to pennies on the dollar. But the whole system is in disarray, and 70% off isn't the sole solution.

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