Association for Environment Conscious Building (AECB)
The objective and aims of the AECB, of which Chelsfield Solar are members, is to facilitate environmentally responsible practices within building.

Carbon Trust
The Carbon Trust is a Government funded company to help business and the public sector reduce carbon emissions.

Energy White Paper
The Energy White Paper defines the Government’s long-term strategic vision for energy policy combining environmental, security of supply, competitiveness and social goals.

Energy Saving Trust / Low Carbon Building Programme
This site describes the process for accessing grants under the Department of Trade and Industry’s Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP). It covers all the renewable energies – not just solar photovoltaics (PV).

NIC EIC
The NIC EIC is the electrical contracting industry’s independent voluntary body for electrical installation matters throughout the UK, of which we are approved contractors. Therefore you can be assured of the highest standard of any electrical installation carried out by us.

Planning Policy Statement (PPS22)
Released in 2004, this supercedes Planning Policy Guidance 22 (PPG22) and highlights the guidance notes on use of PV (in UK buildings) issued by the Department for Transport Local Government and the Regions.

Planning Policy Statement – The Companion Guide to PPS22
Information for councils and details advice and guidance with regard to renewable installations. Specifically, point 13 mentions ‘..in general ‘solar panels’ are to be encouraged’ and ‘Unless the panels are of an unusual design, they should be treated as being within the plane of the existing roof slope for the purposes of Part 1, Class B1(b) of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order’.

Renewable Energy Association (REA)
The REA represents British renewable energy producers and promotes the use of sustainable energy in the UK.

OTHER USEFUL SITES

Alternative Energy
This website shows two people making a difference and their knowledge and experiences gained in creating an energy efficient home. We installed their solar PV system on their home, which they cover on their website. Well worth a visit.

Centre for Alternative Technology
The Centre for Alternative Technology, Machynlleth, Wales.

Ecotist
Ecotist is the magazine and product side of DN Developments buildings. DN provide an advanced building process using sustainable methods that have an effect on reducing climate damaging emissions, reducing energy usage, and using recycled and sustainable materials where possible, both in the construction process and in the lifetime of the building.

Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth – information covering a wide range with a very extensive ‘Links’ page.

Green Energy
Educational non-profit organisation providing free information on renewable and green sources of energy. Helpline: 0800 138 0889.

Greenpeace UK
Greenpeace – organisation to encourage public awareness of environmental issues.

Planet Woking!
Woking Borough Council is unique in the UK for how it has created its own energy efficient borough through the use of renewable energies.

John Seymour was born in London, England; his father died when he was very young, his mother remarried and the family moved to Frinton-on-Sea in north-east Essex. A fashionable seaside town with a golf club, a tennis club and a population of 2,000 might seem an unlikely place to develop Seymour’s later philosophy of life. It was however surrounded by agricultural land, where the horse was king; the sea was on his doorstep, there were quiet backwaters where he could learn to sail within a couple of miles of his home. The life lead by those on the land and in small boats would have laid a foundation for his later vision of a simple cottage economy with farming and fishing providing the essentials of life.

After schooling in England and Switzerland Seymour studied agriculture at Wye College, which was then a school of the University of London.

In 1934, at the age of 20, he went to Southern Africa where his wish to experience life took him in through a succession of jobs. In the Karoo as a farmhand and then manager of a sheep farm; from Walvis Bay in South-West Africa (now Namibia) as a deckhand, later as a skipper, on fishing boats; in Northern Rhodesia(now Zambia) in copper mines as a trainee mining engineer; later working for the Northern Rhodesia Veterinary Service as a livestock officer; making a game survey of the Luangwa River valley for the Game Department. Whilst in Africa he spent some time with bushmen where he gained friendship and an insight into the life of hunter gatherers.

1939 to 1951
At the start of World War II in 1939 John Seymour travelled to Kenya where he enlisted in the Kenya Regiment and was posted to the King’s African Rifles, a colonial regiment of the British army with white officers. He fought with them against Italy in the Abyssinian Campaign in Ethiopia. After defeating the Italians the regiment was posted to Sri Lanka (then a British colony called Ceylon) and afterwards to Burma where allied forces were fighting against Japan. For Seymour the war ended on a low note, he expressed his disgust when the Allies used fission bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

On arrival in Britain after the war Seymour worked for a while on a Thames sailing barge, these traditional craft were still operating around the south and east coasts of England, here he picked up the folk songs of a disappearing occupation. After working as a civil servant (labour officer for the Agricultural Committee) finding agricultural work for German prisoners of war (some had still not returned home in 1950) he found an opening into broadcasting when he created a series of short programmes on the BBC Home Service (now Radio 4), speaking on subjects that interested him. He then travelled overland to India for the BBC gaining experience of the subsistence farming still common in eastern Europe and the Asia. His experiences on this journey led to his first book The Hard Way to India, published in 1951.

The Smallholdings
Seymour was living aboard a Dutch sailing smack when he married Sally Medworth, an Australian potter and artist, in 1954. In this they travelled around the waterways and rivers of England and Holland, journeys later described in Sailing through England. As their first daughter grew older they felt that a landbase would be more suitable. They leased two isolated cottages on 5 acres (2 hectares) of land near Orford in Suffolk. The manner in which they fell into self-sufficiency on this smallholding is recounted in The Fat of the Land (1961).

At the beginning of the 1970s the family moved to a farm near Newport in Pembrokeshire. This decade saw Seymour’s publication rate reach a maximum, In 1976 The Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency was published, a guide for real and dreaming downshifters. Published shortly after E. F. Schumacher’s Small is Beautiful – a study of economics as if people mattered (1973) and, more mundanely, The Good Life’s first showing on British television (1975), the sales of the new book exceeded all expectations. It was also set to establish the reputation of two young publishers, Christopher Dorling and Peter Kindersley who had commissioned and edited the work. His writing was not restricted to self-sufficiency: he wrote four guide books in the Companion Guide series and was now being asked to speak of his vision at conferences.

In the 1970s and 1980s he was also making television programmes: an early series followed the footsteps of George Borrow’s Wild Wales (1862), later he spent three years making the BBC series Far From Paradise (with Herbert Girardet) which examined the history of human impact on the environment.

His farm in Wales welcomed visitors seeking guidance on the smallholders life a project which expanded to the School for Self-Sufficiency when he moved to County Wexford in Ireland during the 1980s. Here in 1999 he was taken to court for damaging a crop of GM sugar beet.

His Books
The Hard Way to India (1951). London: Eyre & Spottiswoode.
Boys in the Bundu (1955) London: Harrap. (With illustrations by Sally Seymour.)
Round About India (1955). London: Eyre & Spottiswoode.
One Man’s Africa (1956). London: Eyre & Spottiswoode.
Sailing Through England (1956). London: Eyre & Spottiswoode. (With illustrations by Sally Seymour.)
The Fat of the Land (1961). London: Faber & Faber. (With illustrations by Sally Seymour.)
On My Own Terms (1963). London: Faber & Faber.
Willynilly to the Baltic (1965). Edinburgh: William Blackwood & Sons.
Voyage into England (1966). Newton Abbott: David & Charles.
The Companion Guide to East Anglia (1970). London: Collins.
About Pembrokeshire (1971). TJ Whalley.
The Book of Boswell – autobiography of a gypsy (1970). London: Gollancz. (Author: Silvester Gordon Boswell, Ed. John Seymour.)
Self-Sufficiency (1970). London: Faber & Faber. (With Sally Seymour.)
The Companion Guide to the Coast of South-West England (1974). London: Collins.
The Companion Guide to the Coast of North-East England (1974). London: Collins.
The Companion Guide to the Coast of South-East England (1975). London: Collins.
The Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency (1976). London: Faber & Faber.
Bring Me My Bow (1977). London: Turnstone Books.
Keep It Simple (1977). Pant Mawr: Black Pig Press.
The Countryside Explained (1977). London: Faber & Faber. (With illustrations by Sally Seymour.)
I’m A Stranger Here Myself – the story of a Welsh farm (1978). London: Faber & Faber. (With illustrations by Sally Seymour.)
The Self-Sufficient Gardener (1978). Londoon: Dorling Kindersley
John Seymour’s Gardening Book (1978). London: G.Whizzard Publications Ltd: Distributed by Deutsch,
Gardener’s Delight (1978). London: Michael Joseph.
Getting It Together – a guide for new settlers (1980). London: Michael Joseph.
The Lore of the Land (1982). Weybridge: Whittet. (With illustrations by Sally Seymour.)
The Woodlander (1983). London: Sidgwick & Jackson. (With illustrations by Sally Seymour.)
The Smallholder (1983). London: Sidgwick & Jackson. (With illustrations by Sally Seymour.)
The Shepherd (1983). London: Sidgwick & Jackson. (With illustrations by Sally Seymour.)
The Forgotten Arts (1984). London: Dorling Kindersley.
Far from Paradise – the story of man’s impact on the environment (1986). London: BBC Publications. (with Herbert Girardet.)
Blueprint for a Green Planet’ (1987). London: Dorling Kindersley. (with Herbert Girardet.)
The Forgotten Household Crafts (1987). London: Dorling Kindersley.
England Revisited – a countryman’s nostalgic journey (1988). London: Dorling Kindersley.
The Ultimate Heresy (1989). Bideford: Green Books.
Changing Lifestyles – living as though the world mattered (1991). London: Gollancz.
Rural Life – pictures from the past (1991). London: Collins & Brown
Blessed Isle – one man’s Ireland (1992). London: Collins.
Seymour’s Seamarks (1995). Rye: Academic Inn Books. (with Connie Lindquist)
Retrieved from the Future (1996). London: New European,
Rye from the Water’s Edge (1996). Rye: Academic Inn Books. (with Connie Lindquist)
Playing It For Laughs – a book of doggerel (1999). San Francisco: Metanoia Press. (with illustrations by Kate Seymour)
The Forgotten Arts And Crafts (2001). London: Dorling Kindersley.
The New Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency (2002). London: Dorling Kindersley. (with Will Sutherland.)
The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It (2003). London: Dorling Kindersley. (with Will Sutherland.)

To find books by John Seymour please click here>>>

Printing Statement
Most publishers are helpful when it comes this and clearly state: ‘‘ – ‘Third Impression’ ‘Reprinted in…’ etc etc. Clearly any mention of these terms indicates a reprint. However things are often not so easy and a book can clearly state ‘‘ or ‘first printed’ without mention of another edition or date and still be a reprint.
Publishers often reprinted using the same plates as the first, sometimes for years afterwards.

Undated Books
If a book shows no dates at all then the balance of probability suggests it more likely to be a later edition. However, as usual, there are many exceptions. Specialised bibliographies would need to be consulted before any final decision can be made. A very useful resource in recent years is the online access to the world’s reference libraries which will supply you with a publication date, and in many cases indicate whether or not that book was dated or not.

Printers Key – Number Line
A relatively new method of indicating edition status has been adopted by many publishers, that being the printers key, often referred to as the number line. This method shows a line of numbers on the copyright page, usually between 10 and 1. The sequence of the numbers varies between publishers but the basic principal remains the same (apart from a few exceptions) a first issue-edition-impression requires the presence of the number 1.For example 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 indicates a first printing. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 would indicate a second printing and so forth.

Dust Wrappers – Jackets
To make life yet more difficult as well as ascertaining that status of your book you also need to do the same for the dustwrapper or jacket. As mentioned previously reprints can appear the same as firsts with differences shown only on the dw. Always check for reviews or for titles post dating the book. The published price can often be an issue when it comes to later or so called cheap editions. There are genuine issue points on some jackets that determine the printing of the book but the biggest potential problem is when later state wrappers find their way onto first edition books. This can usually be determined by rudimentary checks though specialised bibliographies may need to be consulted

Book Club Editions
Book club editions are a source of great confusion to many and are regularly mis-sold as , usually out of ignorance but occasionally not ! For collectors of UK first editions this is less of a problem than it is for collectors of American editions. UK book clubs are usually clearly stated as such, there is an absence of original publisher logos, unpriced jackets etc. Very often the books are much smaller in size or indeed a completely different format.
Things are very much more complex when it comes to American firsts when a book may appear exactly the same as a first to the uninitiated. The complexities and variations are so great that it goes well beyond the scope of this article to give a definitive guide. There are some excellent publications however that can aid the collector with specific issue points and we would recommend referring to them. The other safeguard is to buy from an established and reputable dealer who can eliminate these concerns.

http://www.OneToRemember.co.uk

We also publish ebooks so if you are the copyright holder send us an email – contact us – with an outline of the book.

To paraphrase Oscar Wilde, why bother to write if not for publication? But writing can be a lonely task, made bearable by the thought that others will enjoy reading what has been written, but that means finding a publisher.

Being discovered by a publisher, seeing your book launched and signing copies for adoring readers is perhaps every writers fantasy. And it can happen. But for every writer realising the fantasy, there are thousands who are not so lucky. For them, persistence may ultimately pay as they deal with rejection after rejection. Of course, they can pay to have their book published, perhaps parting with thousands of pounds with, realistically, little or no chance of ever recovering the outlay.

Electronic publishing gives writer another option and one with a very real chance of making money. Although we take works of any length, lets take for example, a book of 80,000 to 100,000 words – 200 or so pages. We have to devote time to reading and checking the manuscript as well as actually putting the work on our website, however unlike others if the book is suitable for onetoremember we do not make a charge. If it is suitable we then agree a selling price with the author which would usually be rather less than the price of an equivalent paperback book. Lets say we agree on £6. We pay a royalty to you, the author, of 75% of that price so that every time someone buys your book you earn £4.50 and we keep £1.50 to cover the cost of processing the payment. So when just 100 copies have been bought, you will have earned £450. Remember, the website is accessible worldwide, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and your book will never be ‘out of print’. Some of our authors see electronic publication of their book on this site as an end in itself, and several have more than one title available, while others see it as a means of showcasing their work in the hope of attracting a conventional publisher. Either way, we do everything we can to help to achieve our authors aims. We are in contact with the press, both local and national, in the United Kingdom and Overseas and are often successful in gaining editorial coverage of our activities and those of our authors. Reviews of the books we have on the site are submitted regularly for publication. All this activity is intended to do just one thing – to develop interest in our books, increasing their sales and, as a result, the income paid to our authors. We can accept your manuscript on floppy disk, on CD (preferably in Microsoft Word) or on A4 paper as long as it is typed preferably on one side only. It need not be double spaced nor in any particular font. We look forward to hearing from you.

With practical project work looking at wind, solar, geothermal, wave, tidal, and hydro power, these degree courses are a fantastic introduction to the world ofrenewable energy and should help their graduates find jobs in renewable energy.

Below are a list links to the websites of some of the courses currently available in UK universities (last updated 16th January 2009). University websites are the worst for constantly moving files around resulting in dead links. If you find any of the links below are dead, please email neil@reuk.co.uk. Similarly, if you know of any other UK university RE courses which we have missed here, please let us know.

UK Renewable Energy Degree Courses

University of Exeter – BSc Renewable Energy. Taught on the UoE’s Cornwall Campus. In 2006 the UK’s first ever renewable energy students graduated from this course.

University of Nottingham – MSc Electrical Technology for Sustainable and Renewable Energy Systems, and from 2008 Electrical Engineering and Renewable Energy Systems (BEng/MEng).

University of Dundee – BSc Renewable Energy and MSci Renewable Energy. (The linked to web page has a lot of information about the courses on offer which makes interesting reading for anyone interested in finding out more about RE). Click here for information about renewable energy scholarships available.

Cranfield University – Offshore Renewable Energy Msc.

De Montford University – Green Energy Technology: BSc Honours. 3 years full time or 4 years sandwich course with a placement year in industry.

University of Glamorgan – MSc Renewable Energy and Resource Managment.

Heriot-Watt University – MSc in Renewable Energy Revelopment as the Orkney Campus. (Download course handbook 2008/2009 (PDF) here.)

University of Reading – MSc/PgDip in Renewable Energy: Technology and Sustainability.

University of Ulster – Postgraduate Diploma / MSc in Renewable Energy and Energy Management.

Durham University – MSc New and Renewable Energy. (linked to page has deep links to a lot of information about the modules taught in this course.)

University of Leeds – MSc (Eng) Electrical Engineering and Renewable Energy Systems. Of particular interest is the module PREN5440M - Renewable Sources of Energy.

Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology – Modular MSc Renewable Energy Systems (Loughborough University). Course available via distance learning.

University of Edinburgh – MEng Mechanical Engineering with Renewable Energy.

Glyndwr University North East Wales Institute of Higher Education – BEng Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technologies, FdEng Renewable Energy Systems.

University of East London (CITE) – MSc Renewable Energy and the Built Environment.

Newcastle University – MSc Renewable Energy (link to a PDF document).

Cornwall College (in partnership with University of Plymouth) – FdSc Renewable Energy Technologies.

Kingston University London – Renewable Energy Engineering PgDIP/MSc.

University of Surrey – Renewable Energy Systems Engineering MSc.

Here is the Green Party’s policy page

And here is the LibDems have said the following

Both Labour and Conservatives support the construction of new nuclear power stations. More nuclear power will soak up subsidy, centralise energy production and hinder development of Britain’s vast renewable resources. Nuclear has a dirty legacy and increases global security risks. We oppose construction of further nuclear power stations. More>>

To gauge people’s views I have started a poll on  – please vote and add to the discussion >>>

EnergyBook is 3 things in one. First, it is a 100% free and green online marketplace. Second it is a free ecommerce website store builder. Third it is a dynamic auction site. When sellers register with EnergyBook they build a customisable free online store and post as many items as they like.

Is EnergyBook really free?

Yes! EnergyBook is completely free to use. We do not charge for any services on EnergyBook – whether it be an auction, pictures, shop front or bold listing. We use the revenue from advertisements and items that we sell on EnergyBook to pay for the low running costs.

Do I have to register to post or buy from EnergyBook?

Yes, registration is easy and is of course free. You just need to add your name and address and make sure your email is correct. You will then receive an email with a verification link back to the EnergyBook site. Naturally you are free to browse the site and use the links to find great products and websites without registering.

Is there a linit to the number of posts that I can make?

No, you can make as many posts as you wish. However we would rather you did not post the same item too many times in ay one category

What is SpoonFeeder?

SpoonFeeder is software that allows you to speed up posting on EnergyBook. It can also be used for listing on eBay and other selected sites.

Does EnergyBook have a partner/affiliate programme?

Yes, EnergyBook uses Clixgalore. We pay for every new member you refer to EnergyBook. Just click on the button and join Clixgalore and the EnergyBook programme.

How can I change the currency on the site?

We have added a range of currencies to the site. When you post you can choose which currency you want to use. You can also choose a currency to display from a drop down menu in the left hand foot of the website. Please not however that the exchange rates are only for guidance and you check the payment when you are completing the transaction.

Can I re-list items that do not sell?

Yes of course you can we do not limit the number of times you can list an item. Please visit ‘My Account’ to see all your live listing, completed, etc. here you can relist as many items as you like. naturally with energyBook there are no fees for re-listing.

How to people pay for goods on EnergyBook?

As with Ebay and other similar sites a lot of buyers and sellers use PayPal. It is quite expensive but seems to work well for this type of transacation. The buyer does not pay and fees to PayPal but the sller does when she/he recives the money. To calculate the fees that PayPal charges you can use this handy PayPal fee calculator

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We created a whole page of ways to help people find your posts on EnergyBook. You can find the page here

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How much does it cost to have a store at EnergyBook?

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I am a merchant who just registered. Could you provide me with products to sell?

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How many products does an EnergyBook store support?

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Can I use my own domain name?

You can point your existing domain name to your EnergyBook store through a forwarding option (offered by your domain provider).

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If you want to build your own wind turbine then this download provides invaluable information and ideas as well as complete plans for large and small windmills. We offer a full refund policy if you are not delighted with the download for any reason.

Check out what you will get from the lists below.

1. Large Savonius wind generator – jemmett engineering plan – all rights reserved
2. Two small Savonius wind generators – jemmett engineering plan – all rights reserved
3. Darrius wind generator wind generator – jemmett engineering plan – all rights reserved
4. 120 Watt wind generator plan – jemmett engineeringplan – all rights reserved
5. Permanent magnet wind generator
6. How to build a wind generator – 1
7. How to build a wind generator – 2
8. Savonius plus alternator
9. VAWT plan
10. 100 Watt Wooden generator
11. Model wind turbine – Savonius
12. Model wind turbine made from a plastic bottle
13. How to make a wind generator stator
14. Wind blade design
15. Windmill construction plan for irrigation
16. VAWT windmill plan
17. Maine-built windmill from scratch
18. Madurai Sail Windmill
19. Sail windmill from Serbia
20. 10 ft windmill F E Powell 1910
21. Brake drum windmill
22. 500 Watt wind generator

We have also added a number of other wind related articles we hope that you enjoy them.
1. Wind energy guide – jemmett engineering plan
2. Paper windmill plan
3. Wind energy fact sheet
4. Garden windmill
5. Wind turbine Buyers Guide

These plans are all contained in one Zip file and can be accessed via a professional menu system and index page.

Check out my ebay feedback and see what people are saying about this fantastic CD for example

AAAA+ Best of eBay!!! All 5 Stars! – May ’09

Lots and lots and lots of information crucially needed for wind energy fans – April ’09

A 100% company All products were exactly as advertised, My favorite seller – Dec ’09

Well presented good value,thank you – Dec ’09

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Great CD, fast delivery Excellent communication AAAAA+++++ – Jan ’10

Check out my other items!

Please Note
Whilst some of these plans are public domain others are owned by EnergyBook, OnetoRemember and Jemmett Engineering. The plans are therefore not available to resell or distribute without permission.

Photovoltaics (PV)

Photovoltaic cells (PVs) are a very different technology from solar water heating, and use light to generate electricity. They are particularly well suited to sites where a grid connection would be difficult or expensive or that are only used in the summer. For an independent power supply, solar works well with wind as there is a good balance of both over the year. Solar electricity, like electricity from other renewable energy sources, doesn’t produce carbon dioxide or harm the environment.

Although start-up costs are higher than other renewable technologies, PVs have key advantages:

• there are no moving parts to fix so they are relatively easy to install and maintain
• they can be sited in urban areas and are not restricted in the way that wind and hydro-power systems are
• they can replace other roofing materials, for example tiles. The cells are embedded in a flat, waterproof material to form ‘modules’, which make ideal cladding material for walls and roofs
• they need not take up any additional land space.

It is hoped that efficiency gains will make PVs a very attractive proposition in the next two decades.

Solar panels that produce electricity are expensive to buy and produce only relatively small amounts of electricity. They need to be sited in a good position and may take up a lot of valuable space. However they do have the advantage of producing pollution free energy and the output is greater in the summer, which is often when the wind is not so strong.

Photovoltaic systems use cells to convert solar radiation into electricity. The PV cell consists of one or two layers of a semi conducting material, usually silicon. When light shines on the cell it creates an electric field across the layers, causing electricity to flow. The greater the intensity of the light the greater the flow of electricity.

PV systems generate no climate changing gases, saving approximately 325kg of carbon dioxide per year for each kW peak installed (Kilowatt (kW) peak – PV cells are referred to in terms of the amount of energy they generate in full sun light). PV arrays now come in a variety of shapes and colours, ranging from grey ‘solar tiles’ that look like roof tiles, to panels and transparent cells that you can use on conservatories and glass to provide shading as well as generating electricity. As well as enabling you to generate free electricity they can provide an interesting alternative to conventional roof tiles!

You can use PV systems for a building with a roof or wall that faces within 90 degrees of south, as long as no other buildings or large trees overshadow it. If the roof surface is in shadow for parts of the day, the output of the system decreases. Another consideration is that the roof also be strong enough to hold the significant weight of the panels, especially if the panel is going to be placed on top of existing tiles. A trained and experienced installer should always carry out solar PV installations.

Prices for PV systems vary, depending on the size of the system to be installed, type of PV cell used and the nature of the actual building on which the PV is mounted. The size of the system is dictated by the amount of electricity required to be supplied.

For the average domestic system, costs can be around £4,000- £9,000 per kwp installed with most domestic systems usually between 1.5 and 2 kwp. Solar tiles cost more than conventional panels and panels that are integrated into a roof are more expensive than those that sit on top. If you intend to have major roof repairs carried out it may be worth exploring PV tiles as they can offset the cost of roof tiles.

Grid connected systems require very little maintenance, generally limited to ensuring that the panels are kept relatively clean and that shade from trees has not become a problem. The wiring and components of the system should however be checked regularly by a qualified technician.

Some local authorities in the UK for example require planning permission to allow you to fit a PV system, especially in conservation areas or on listed buildings. Always check with your local authority about planning issues before you have a system installed. Obtaining retrospective planning permission can be difficult and costly!

Water power

Obviously waterpower is only possible where there is a usable source of running water. Construction and installation is expensive and maintenance is relatively high. The energy produced is again pollution free.

Hydropower systems convert potential energy stored in water held at height to kinetic energy (or the energy used in movement) to turn a turbine to produce electricity.
Hydro Electricity can be one of the cheapest methods of providing off-grid renewable electricity, but it is also very site specific. One advantage is that on a good site you may not need batteries or an inverter – the turbines will often produce 240 volts AC and can just be turned on when needed. The ideal situation is one where there is no grid electricity (otherwise the capital cost of a system is generally too high to make it financially viable on a small scale), and a water course with a good flow and a high head. You will have to obtain an abstraction licence in the UK from the Environment Agency.

A good hydro site depends on the ‘head’ of water (the vertical drop) and the flow rate. To estimate the energy in a water source, multiply the flow (in litres per second) by the head (in metres) by 10 (acceleration due to gravity). Divide your answer by 2 to account for losses and inefficiencies, and you will have a rough idea of the potential power generation in watts.

Although it will cost several thousand pounds to install a hydro system, in some situations it will be cheaper than paying the cost of connecting to the grid. The basic equipment for a 1kW battery charging system might cost £5,000 to £6,000, plus installation costs, while a larger system can cost tens of thousands of pounds.

Old watermills, and other low-head sites, are not usually good sites for generating electricity. A large, slow-moving body of water gives a high torque, which is needed by mills for mechanical work, whilst it is easier to generate electricity where there is a fast flow of water that can be channelled to hit the turbine at high pressure. However some old waterwheels have been converted to generate electricity, so it may be worth looking into.

A micro hydro plant is below 100kW. Improvements in small turbine and generator technology mean that micro hydro schemes are an attractive means of producing electricity. Useful power may be produced from even a small stream. The likely range is from a few hundred watts (possibly for use with batteries) for domestic schemes, to a minimum 25kW for commercial schemes.

Hydropower requires the source to be relatively close to the site of power usage, or to a suitable grid connection. Hydro systems can be connected to the main electricity grid, or as a part of a stand-alone (off-grid) power system. In a grid-connected system, any electricity generated in excess of consumption on site can be sold to electricity companies.

In an off-grid hydro system, electricity can be supplied directly to the devices powered, or via a battery bank and inverter set up. Allowances should be made for any seasonal variations in water flow, which can affect the amount of electricity delivered to the system i.e. having a back up power system.

It is possible for single households with a mains connection located near a hydro source to install a micro hydro system. They can go ‘off the grid’ entirely, or stay connected and sell excess electricity to the grid. The capital cost is high, but the prospect of zero or even negative electricity bills may tempt you!

Provided the resource is there, community hydro projects can also be a viable proposition. Potentially, there are great benefits in clubbing together to increase buying power or sharing expertise – although the work involved should not be underestimated.

Energy available in a body of water depends on the amount of water flowing per second, and the height (or head) that the water falls. The scheme’s actual output will depend on how efficiently it converts the power of the water into electrical power (maximum efficiencies of over 90% are possible, but for small systems 50% is more realistic). Hydro electric systems are generally divided into 2 categories, low and high head.

This will depend on the resource available and your energy needs. For houses with no mains connection, but with access to a micro-hydro site, a good hydro system can generate a steady, more reliable electricity supply than other renewable technologies at a lower cost. Total system costs can still be high, but often less than the cost of a grid connection, and with no electricity bills to follow. Note that in off-grid applications the power is used for lighting and electrical appliances, however space and water heating can be supplied when available power exceeds demand.

Hydro costs are very site specific and are related to energy output.

For low head systems (not including the civil works – so assuming there was an existing pond or weir), costs may be in the region of £4,000 per kW installed up to about 10kW, and would drop per kW for larger schemes.

For medium heads, a fixed cost of about £10,000, and then about £2,500 per kW up to around 10kW – so a typical 5kW domestic scheme might cost £20-£25,000. Unit costs drop for larger schemes.

Turbines can have visual impact and produce some noise, but these can be mitigated relatively easily. The main issue is to maintain the river’s ecology by restricting the proportion of the total flow diverted through the turbine.

You will need to talk to the relevant planning authorities to ensure the site and design is acceptable and identify any other permissions required.

Diesel and petrol generators

As long as the supply of fuel is maintained this form of generation should be available at any time. Both diesel and petrol generators are readily available both new and second hand. The diesel used to run such plant has a lower tax than diesel used for transport. They are however noisy and usually use fossil fuels which pollute the atmosphere.

Biomass

Energy from biomass is produced from organic matter of recent origin. It does not include fossil fuels, which have taken millions of years to evolve. The CO2 released during the generation of energy from biomass is balanced by that absorbed during the fuel’s production. We call this a carbon neutral process.

Biomass is often called ‘bioenergy’ or ‘biofuels’. These biofuels are produced from organic materials, either directly from plants or indirectly from industrial, commercial, domestic or agricultural products. Biofuels fall into two main categories:

• Woody biomass includes forest products, untreated wood products, energy crops, short rotation coppice (SRC) e.g. willow, miscanthus (elephant grass).

• Non-woody biomass includes animal wastes, industrial and biodegradable municipal products from food processing and high-energy crops e.g. rape, sugar cane, maize.

For small-scale domestic applications of biomass the fuel usually takes the form of wood pellets, wood chips and wood logs.

There are two main methods of using biomass to heat a domestic property:

Stand-alone stoves providing space heating for a room.

• Can be fuelled by logs or pellets but only pellets are suitable for automatic feed
• Generally 6-12 kW in output
• Some models can be fitted with a back boiler to provide water heating.

Boilers connected to central heating and hot water systems.

• Suitable for pellets, logs or chips
• Generally larger than 15 kW.

Stoves can achieve efficiencies of more than 80%. They are normally used to provide background heating whilst adding aesthetic value, as they are designed to be located in the living area of the house itself. Although many wood burning stoves act as space heaters only, the higher output versions may be fitted with an integral back boiler to provide domestic hot water and, if required, central heating via radiators.

There are many domestic scale log, wood-chip and wood pellet burning central heating boilers available. Log boilers require manual loading and may be unsuitable for some situations, whilst automatic pellet and wood-chip systems can be more expensive. Many boilers will dual-fire both wood chips and pellets, although the wood chip boilers will require larger hoppers to provide the same time interval between refueling.

Boilers can be designed with an integral hot water energy storage tank or accumulator tank that stores water up to 90 Deg C,enabling the supply of heat to be further decoupled from the combustion of the fuel. This is particularly helpful with log boilers where systems operate at full load and the matching of demand with load is performed by the accumulator.

You should consider the following issues if you are considering a biomass boiler or stove. An accredited installer will be able to provide more detailed advice regarding suitability.

Fuel: It is important that you have storage space for the fuel, appropriate access to the boiler for loading and a local fuel supplier.

Flue: The vent material must be specifically designed for wood fuel appliances and there must be sufficient air movement for proper operation of the stove. Chimneys can be fitted with a lined flue.

Regulations: The installation must comply with all safety and building regulations (see Part J of the Building Regulations).

Smokeless zone: Wood can only be burnt on exempted appliances, under the Clean Air Act. This mainly applies to domestic appliances.

Planning: If the building is listed, or in an area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB), then you will need to check with your Local Authority Planning Department before a flue is fitted.

Capital costs: This generally depends on the type and size of system you choose but installation and commissioning costs tend to be fairly fixed. Stand alone room heaters generally cost £1500 – £3000 installed. The cost for boilers varies depending on the fuel choice; a typical 20kW (average size required for a three bed semi detached house) pellet boiler would cost around £5000 installed, including the cost of the flue and commissioning. A manual log feed system of the same size would be slightly cheaper.

Running costs: Unlike other forms or renewable energy biomass systems require you to pay for the fuel. Fuel costs are generally dependant on the distance from your fuel supplier; if you have a supplier near by this will reduce the costs of the fuel considerably. As a general rule the running costs will be more favourable if you live in an off gas area.

Payback: This will depend on the fuel being replaced and the type of wood fuel being used but will be more favourable in off gas grid areas.

Producing energy from biomass has both environmental and economic advantages. It is most cost-effective when a local fuel source is used, which results in local investment and employment. Furthermore, biomass can contribute to waste management by harnessing energy from products that are often disposed of at landfill sites.

Solar water heating

Solar water heating systems gather energy radiated by the sun and convert it into useful heat in the form of hot water. This technology is well developed with a large choice of equipment to suit many applications. Solar water heating systems work alongside your conventional water heater to provide hot water.

It can provide almost all of your hot water during the summer months and about 50% year round. It will reduce your impact on the environment – the average domestic system can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 0.25-0.5 tonne per year, depending on the fuel replaced.

• The system which best suits your needs depends on a range of factors, including:
• Amount of south facing roof space.
• Existing water heating system (e.g. some gas combi boilers may not be suitable).
• The budget you have for the project.

A competent professional installer should assess your situation and discuss with you the best configuration to meet your needs.

Solar water heating can be used for domestic water heating and also for larger scale applications such as swimming pools. A solar water heating system for domestic hot water comprises three main components: solar panels; hot water cylinder; and a plumbing system.

Solar panels are fitted to your roof and retain heat from the sun’s rays and transfer this heat to a fluid. A hot water cylinder stores the hot water that is heated during the day and supplies it for use later. The plumbing system is made up of simple piping and sometimes a pump, which moves the fluid around the system.

Preferably you will need 2-4m² of southeast to southwest facing roof space that receives minimal shading during the main part of day.

Space to locate an additional water cylinder if required.

Costs vary due to a range of factors. The typical installation costs for flat plate collectors is £2,000 – £3,000 while evacuated tube systems will cost £3,500 – £4,500.

Alternatively you can fit or build the system yourself. It can work out cheaper but will take longer and you’ll need a certain level of skill. However, you should bear in mind that DIY jobs are not eligible for grant funding.

Solar hot water systems generally come with a 10-year warranty and require very little maintenance. A yearly check by the householder and a more detailed check by a professional installer every 3-5 years should be sufficient (although you should consult your system supplier for exact maintenance

requirements).

Over 44,000 solar water heating panels have been installed in the UK to date. Solar panels contain water which is heated by the sun, and this then usually goes through a coil in a hot water cylinder, transferring the heat to the water there. You need to have a conventional water heating system as well, such as a gas or oil fired boiler, or perhaps a back-boiler on a wood stove, to top up the heat from the panels when necessary and provide hot water and space heating in the winter. (If wood comes from sustainably managed forests, it is potentially a renewable fuel and is carbon neutral as it absorbs the same amount of carbon dioxide when growing as it gives off when burnt. It is important that wood is well seasoned and burnt efficiently, or it will give off harmful dioxins.) In most cases solar water heating panels will not provide space heating because there is insufficient sun in the winter, when you need heating most.

If your boiler needs replacing, a condensing boiler is most efficient and you can find out further details in the UK from your local Energy Efficiency Advice Centre (Freephone 0800 512 012). Condensing boilers are more expensive but the savings on fuel should compensate for the extra cost within a few years – and from then on you’re saving money and fuel!

You can add solar panels to most existing hot water systems, though you will usually have to add an additional hot water cylinder or change your existing one to a twin coil cylinder. It can be more difficult to use solar water heating with a ‘combi’ boiler because they are designed to take cold mains pressure water, and solar systems tend to supply hot or warm, low pressure water. Check with the boiler manufacturer or with a solar engineer to see if your boiler is suitable. Solar water heating is often ideal for swimming pools – contact CAT’s free information service Email: info@cat.org.uk for further details.

Ideally solar panels should be placed somewhere south facing and free of shade, and they can be mounted on the roof or at ground level. You may need a pump to circulate the water round and some regulating equipment.

There are two main types of commercial solar water heating panel available – flat plate and evacuated tubes. Although evacuated tubes are more efficient they are also more expensive and if you spend too much on installing a system you may not necessarily get your money back within its lifetime. (Though it would still have environmental benefits). You can compensate for the lower efficiency of flat plate collectors by installing a larger surface area.

The cost of a flat plate system, including installation, for an ‘average’ house ranges from about £2,000 to £4,000. Evacuated tube systems usually cost from £3,500 to £5,500. However the price will depend on the particular situation – whether you need scaffolding, for example. There are lots of solar water heating installers around, so it is always worth getting several quotes to compare prices. Beware of companies trying to pressure people into buying a system on the spot by offering special ‘discounts’, which in actual fact may not offer a real saving. DIY panels can be installed for anything from around £500 upwards.

Ground source heat pumps (GSHP)

Ground source heat pumps (GSHP) transfer heat from the ground into a building to provide space heating and, in some cases, pre-heating domestic hot water. For every unit of electricity used to pump the heat, 3-4 units of heat are produced. As well as ground source heat pumps, air source and water source heat pumps are also possible.

There are three important elements to a GSHP:

Ground loop – comprises lengths of pipe buried in the ground, either in a borehole or a horizontal trench. The pipe is usually a closed circuit and is filled with a mixture of water and antifreeze, which is pumped round the pipe absorbing heat from the ground.

Heat pump – although we may not know it heat pumps are very familiar to us – fridges and air conditioners are both examples. A heat pump has three main components:

1. Evaporator – (e.g. the squiggly thing in the cold part of your fridge) takes the heat from the water in the ground loo.

1. Compressor – (this is what makes the noise in a fridge) moves the refrigerant round the heat pump and compresses the gaseous refrigerant to the temperature needed for the heat distribution circuit. Condenser, (the hot thing at the back of your fridge) gives up heat to a hot water tank that feeds the distribution system.

1. Heat distribution system – consists of under floor heating or radiators for space heating and in some cases water storage for hot water supply.

Three options are available for the ground loop: borehole, straight horizontal and spiral horizontal (or ‘slinky’). Each has different characteristics allowing you to choose the most suitable for your property. Horizontal trenches can cost less than boreholes, but require greater land area. For slinky coil, a trench of about 10m length will provide for about 1kW of heating load.

The installed cost of a typical 8kW system varies between £6,400-£9,600 plus the cost of the distribution system. Note that costs are dependent on property and location so the cost for a system for your home may differ.

The efficiency of a GSHP system is measured by the Coefficient of Performance (CoP). This is the ratio of the number of units of heat output for each unit of electricity input used to drive the compressor and pump for the ground loop. Typical CoPs range between 2.5-4. The higher end of this range is for underfloor heating, because it works at a lower temperature (30-35oC) than radiators.

Based on current fuel prices, assuming a CoP of 3-4, a GSHP can be a cheaper form of space heating than oil, LPG and electric storage heaters. It is however more expensive than mains gas. If grid electricity is used for the compressor and pump, then an economy 7 tariff usually gives the lowest running costs.

You should consider the following issues if you are considering a ground source heat pump. An accredited installer will be able to provide more detailed advice regarding suitability.

The type of heat distribution system. GSHPs can be combined with radiators but under floor heating is better as it works at a lower temperature.

Is there space available for a trench or borehole to accommodate a ground loop?

• Is the ground material suitable for digging a trench or borehole?
• What fuel is being replaced? If it is electricity, oil, LPG or any other conventional fossil fuel the payback will be more favourable. This makes heat pumps a good option for off gas grid areas.
• Do you want to be 100% renewable? If so, purchase green electricity, or install solar PV or some other form of renewable electricity generating system to power the compressor and pump.
• Do you require a back up heating system?
• Is there also a cooling requirement?
• Is the system for a new building development? Combining the installation with other building works can reduce costs.
• Can you incorporate insulation measures? Including wall, floor and loft insulation will reduce your heat demand.

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The following is taken from the introduction to The Homebuilt Dynamo

Why this book?

1969: Decided to live the simple life. Bought a few acres of steep land very cheaply – most of it nearly straight up and down, hard to find a flat spot that wasn’t marsh or swamp. did find one big enough to erect a 12′x12′ tent which we lived in for a year while building a small house at the bottom end of the property.

1970: Electric power people wanted lots of money – in advance – to put in power poles to house. Seemed like a better idea was to get a book on small dynamo construction and make our own power.

To make a long story short, we couldn’t find that book. So that’s why this book was written.

This book is a picture-diary of how we build our dynamo, with some practical information and advice along the way for anyone following our steps. You will appreciate my wife Julia’s invaluable help in translating my text into understandable English.

To some people, this book may seem to go into too much detail; for others, perhaps not so experienced in electronics or shop techniques, the extra details of how I made The Homebuilt Dynamo will be welcomed. My aim is to leave out nothing that will help any person with an ordinary home workshop to produce a working Homebuilt Dynamo using the materials, tools, and techniques described.

Having no such directions ourselves, it took us a while. It was on January 15th, 1984, when – with great pomp and ceremony – we retired the smelly and dangerous kerosene lamps and started a new era on 12v miniature fluorescent lighting fixtures.

The Homebuilt Dynamo is not another “do-it-yourself” book, it is simply a careful diary with photographs, detailed working drawings, and text of how I build myself a low speed, low voltage, three phase permanent magnet alternator with internal rectifier diodes which make, in effect, a direct current generator. To avoid that last longwinded description, I have substituted the word “dynamo” which, anyway, I hate to see disappear from the language.

Except for the small amount of lathe work (see drawings D182 and D183), all the construction was done by me, using hand tools normally available in the average home workshop plus two handgrinders and two hand powered drill presses. To simplify constructions and make it easy to fabricate (and, if necessary, to dismantle), I have avoided the necessity for any welding or soldering.

Of modular construction, the Stator Units can be removed and the Frame completely dismantled using only an Allen key set and a small screw driver.

The materials I used to construct The Homebuilt Dynamo are, by no means, the only ones you can use. For example, the Formica Supporting Plates could be made from aluminium, cast iron, mild steel, or stainless steel – all of which would be heavier and harder to work than the Industrial Formica I used, but the output rating of the dynamo could be substantially increased because of the much better heat dissipation of metals.

The reader may well ask: why all the fuss over a low speed machine when mass-produced car and truck alternators are available at very reasonable cost? Well, the answer to that is that the alternative power sources such as small windmills, water turbines, and steam engines have speeds in the 100 to 800 range of RPM. To match the power source generally available to these high-speed machines requires expensive high ratio gearing or a complicated maze of belts and pulleys which aren’t very energy efficient and require frequent maintenance.

In conventional alternators, it is hard to follow the action because a common stator core is used for all the windings. In my machine, each individual Stator has its own separate laminated core and windings so it is easy to make electrical calculations using a modification of the standard transformer formula.

The structure of The Homebuilt Dynamo can be thought of as basically a bunch of core type electric transformers cut in half and the two halves positioned on opposite sides of a rotating disk which has powerful ceramic magnets embedded in its rim (which passes between the two halves of the “transformers”). The north-south direction of magnetism in each of these magnets is opposite to the ones next to it all around the rim, so when the disk is rotated, the “transformer halves” on either side of the disk are caused to be magnetized first in one direction and then in the other (see drawing D296) as each pair of magnets passes between the “transformer halves”. The “transformer halves” thus act in the same way as the stator of an alternator, generating a current of alternating electricity as the Magnet Rotor turns.

The amount of power that can be collected from the Stator Units depends on three factors which are listed below:

1. The larger the individual Stator Units, the more power is generated for each RPM of the Magnet Rotor.
2. The more Stator Units that can be packed around the Magnet Rotor disk, the more power is generated – that is why I’ve wound the copper coils in such a way that they are much longer than their width in The Homebuilt Dynamo, so as to get as many Stator Units as possible around both sides of the Magnet Rotor.
3. The larger the Magnet Rotor, the more magnets can be positioned around its rim and this means more power will be generated from each Stator Unit for each RPM of the Magnet Rotor.

So, if we want a lot of power at a low rotor RPM, theoretically all we need is a huge rotor with hundreds of small magnets revolving between hundreds of little stator units. In a real-life situation, though, we have to compromise quite a bit here. For example, the rotor unit must be very rigid or it will tend to vibrate between the Stator units as it revolves, so its thickness must be about one-sixteenth its diameter (for industrial Formica material). Also, the Stator Units must be supported by a frame heavy enough so that it, as well, will not vibrate.

Obviously, then, compromises must be made and a balance struck between the three factors determining maximum power and practical dynamo design.

After experimenting with various combinations, taking each of the three factors to its maximum practical limit, my final design brought the frame to fourteen and one-quarter inches by fourteen and one-quarter inches by one-half inch thick Industrial Formica for the two Supporting Plates with four Housing Panels made of fourteen and three-eighths inches by four and one-sixteenth inches by one-eighth inch thin aluminium plate. (One of the four Housing Panels would become the Rectifier Panel). The eleven and five-eighths inches overall diameter Magnet Rotor made of three-quarter inch thick Industrial Formica accommodates thirty-two magnets of such a size and spacing around its rim that two adjacent magnets will cover two legs of the Stator Units, one unit after the other, as the Rotor revolves. There are twelve Stator Units fastened to each of the Supporting Plates, each exactly opposite one on the other Supporting Plate, making up twelve Stator Unit Pairs with the Magnet Rotor revolving between them. The pairs of magnets, as they cover the legs of two opposite Stator Units, complete the magnetic path between the Stator Unit Pairs as the Magnet Rotor revolves (see drawing D296).

The ratio of twelve Stator Unit Pairs to sixteen Magnet pairs is important to the three-phase circuitry of The Homebuilt Dynamo since this ration works out so that only four pairs of magnets are covering the legs of four Stator Unit Pairs (these four Stator Unit Pairs being covered by the four pairs of magnets are spaced 90 degrees apart on the Supporting Plates) at any one time with the other magnet pairs either just coming up to, or just passing on from, the remaining eight Stator Unit Pairs. The effect of this is to practically eliminate any “cogging” action which would immobilize the Magnet Rotor and make it next to impossible for it to get started again – which would be the result if all the magnets lined up with all the Stator Units legs at the same time.

On this machine, no extra insulation is used between coil layers and there is no process of special dipping, drying, and baking of coils. This is because it’s not necessary for The Homebuilt Dynamo where the peak voltage between any two layers of the coil winding (at maximum rated DC output – either parallel or series connected) is just under 2v compared to 54v between layers in the coil of a conventional 230v 2kw transformer – where insulation and such processes are indeed necessary.

Actually based on an old (turn of the century) idea – which was at the time impractical – the design of The Homebuilt Dynamo is only practical because of the availability of modern ceramic permanent magnets. When compared to the conventional metal magnets, their power is enormous – especially in their power to pull over a much greater distance and to withstand strong demagnetizing forces. The “long-throw” capability of the modern ceramic permanent magnets as used in The Homebuilt Dynamo allows us to have an air gap of one-sixteenth inch between the Stator Units and the magnets, on both sides of the revolving Magnet Rotor and this means that the construction tolerances permitted are much larger than in the conventional machine permitting only about a one-hundredth inch air gap – and it is this difference which brings the construction of The Homebuilt Dynamo within reach of the amateur craftsman.

As an option, in Appendix 1, I have put forward some ideas for enlarging The Homebuilt Dynamo by doubling or tripling the linear dimensions of each component to gain a really spectacular increase in output and efficiency. It is a well-known fact in electrical engineering that electric motors, generators, and transformers all become much more efficient as their size increase provided that all the components, (with the exception of the thickness of the individual iron laminations in the rotor and stator cores), are enlarged in the same ratio.

In course of developing The Homebuilt Dynamo, I have often relied on hunches about how electricity “could” be generated and consequently I have spent quite a few years running up blind alleys, many of which in hindsight have seemed a bit ridiculous. I sincerely hope that this book will help a like-minded reader to avoid a few of those blind alleys.

What this book contains.

This book originated from the premise that there just had to be a method of generating low voltage electricity from mechanical energy which could be developed from scratch in the average home workshop using home modified, off-the-shelf components and materials.

The systems of construction described here were mainly worked out by the Trial & Error System with help from bits and pieces of know-how from various trades picked up during 15 years as a factory process worker in the Auckland area. I do not profess to be an expert at anything – I’m still learning.

This book is a picture-diary with over 300 illustrations detailing (with photos, schematics, and working drawings) the design and construction steps in the building of a low speed, low voltage, permanent magnet, three-phase alternator with built-in full-wave rectifier – which makes it, in effect, a DC generator or what I prefer to call a dynamo.

The Homebuilt Dynamo (as wired in this book) can be used from 12v to 36v with a top rated output of 1000 watts – 28 amps and 36 volts at 740 RPM.

This machine has been specifically designed and simplified to the point where no soldering or welding is required. The use of connector strips (terminal blocks) for all wiring connections allows maximum experimentation and changing of components without a major hassle. Neither is there any foundry work – i.e. no casting for the housing. There are no brushes to wear out.

I have done all the work at home (except for an essential bit of lathe work done on the Rotor Hub and the four Spacers holding the Main Frame together) using all new off-the-shelf quality materials purchased from local firms in the Auckland area (these are listed and addresses given).

This book also includes descriptions of how I constructed:

1. A precision cutting diamond saw used to cut magnets to size (based on alterations to a sturdy old hand grinder).
2. A special high-power magnetizer used to magnetize ceramic magnets (uses old-fashioned telephone dynamo for power source).
3. A precision sheet metal cutter (small) for cutting standard transformer laminations to the size required (built around a pair of tin snips).
4. A small (four and one-half ounces) lifting magnet which uses a Homebuilt Dynamo Rotor Magnet as its power source and lifts 145 times its own weight.
5. A foot-powered version of The Homebuilt Dynamo (for charging a deep-cycle marine battery) build around a bicycle frame with improvised reading stand.
6. A 139 pound flywheel used on the pedal powered machine made from lead-filled mackerel tins set around an Industrial Formica disk with aluminium hub and stainless steel rods.
7. Precision wire-winding jigs (for winding the stator coils and the magnetizing coils).
8. Several test apparatus built for various tests on magnets and on the Dynamo (in the Appendix).

The appendix also contains details of tests made on The Homebuilt Dynamo plus some theories and opinions on various theories and ideas, and some simple data on scaling up The Homebuilt Dynamo to obtain large increases in output and efficiency.

All the active construction photos in this book show me “doing it the hard way” with hand-tools or hand-powered machines – because that was all I had to work with. But a person more fortunate, who had the use of power tools, would naturally finish the job faster.

Book Review:

MODEL ENGINEER 15 DECEMBER 1989 VOL 163 #3863, page 793 – The Homebuilt Dynamo by Alfred T. Forbes

The background to this book is that the author opted out of the rat race to an apparently remote plot of land in New Zealand where he built his own house. There was no possibility of getting a connection to a public electricity supply but he soon grew tired of the smell and inconvenience of oil lamps. He sought a low voltage d.c. generator to charge storage batteries which could be driven by a wind or water mill. The obvious ready-made article was a car alternator and rectifier but that would have needed to run at several thousand r.p.m. and he wanted to avoid the gearing or pulley system that would have been needed. He found that if he wanted a low-speed machine he would have to build his own. The book records in the greatest detail the design and construction of a 3-phase alternator-rectifier machine that produces up to 1kW at 740 r.p.m. at voltages from 12 to 36 volts depending on the interconnection of the windings.

The workshop equipment available to him was of the simplest – he had no lathe and of course no power-driven equipment, so the design of the machine is dictated largely by this. Consequently its appearance is, for a generator, distinctly odd but the electrical engineering in it is absolutely sound. It is a multi-pole, permanent magnet rotor machine similar in its general philosophy to the original Raleigh bicycle Hubdyno, but of course much larger and anyone needing a low-speed generator could do much worse than adopt this design.

The author has logged and photographed every stage in the construction and has produced in this book the most comprehensive and detailed set of “How to do it” instructions I have ever seen. True, the book is expensive but the 300 or so pictures are so clear and well-chosen that it must be regarded as good value for money. The approach to the subject is essentially practical. The theoretical basis of generator design is not gone into (it would probably frighten away a number of possible readers) but it is clear to your reviewer that the design is soundly based. It could be built, following these instructions, by a person with no electrical knowledge whatever.

In the education world the construction of this machine would be an interesting and instructive project and the completed machine would be valuable to illustrate the principles of electromagnetic induction, particularly since the form of construction allows the “works” to be seen in action. Moreover, the whole machine can be dismantled and reassembled without damage, thus adding to its instructional value.

In short, the book presents a rather specialised project but it does it in an easily assimilated way. It just goes to show what you can do with your bare hands if you set your mind to it. H.D.B.

The following is a book review from whole earth

This rather arcane book offers complete (to say the least), copiously illustrated instructions for making your own small, slow-speed generator – a type that is very difficult to find, let alone at a reasonable price. Slow-revving generators are suitable for powering by domesticscale wind or hydro turbines, or, as in this case, the author’s exercise bicycle. (One good workout Provides enough battery-stored electricity for his modest daily needs.)

It’s hard to imagine a better set of directions for making anything. To me, however the book is most valuable as an apprenticeship in how to imbue an idea with sufficient intellectual energy and information to make it flicker into being as irrefutable Proof-of-concept hardware, skill not taught in schools or textbooks. The author teaches by revealing how he arrived at his design and fabrication decisions, The patiently explained underlying physics includes worked-out calculations for larger models. Logic and cleverness are balanced by discussion of his blind alleys and mistakes.

Inadvertently, perhaps, it’s a rarely seen, intimate and accessible revelation of a designer’s thought process.

[P107] Each of the 32 Rotor Magnets used in the Magnet Rotor are now individually numbered from 1 to 32. They are still in their unmagnetized condition and, as each slot is cut in the Magnet Rotor, it, too, is given a corresponding number. Each magnet must fit snugly into its own slot and there may be slight imperfections in the cut sides or bottoms of the slots – and it is for better to discover and smooth out such imperfections (with a file) at this point rather than later on when the magnets have been magnetized, the epoxy glue mixed, and any delay would be very aggravating to say the least. it is hard enough to deal with the magnets after they are magnetized – they tend to slap together or jump apart in the most annoying fashion – without any added difficulty in matching magnet to slot and correcting any slot imperfections when you are glueing them into place! After all slots and magnets are numbered for fit and placement, set the magnets aside in a safe place for now.

The homebuilt dynamo: Dynamo design and construction with ceramic magnets