You’ve gotta love brilliant people. I have this one friend who designed and set-up a system that uses basic filters and plants to purify the water leftover from his recycled paper-making business.

And then there’s the people who just wake up one morning, scratch their noggins and decide, “I think I’m going to make a solar panel this week.” I just marvel at those people. M. Davis of Arizona did just that.

Ok, so it might have taken him longer than a week, but with some materials scavenged from his garage, some parts sourced through ebay and a touch of brilliance, M. Davis now has solar power.

My first thought when I saw this project was ‘good for him. Too bad I’m not gifted enough to build a schmancy solar panel.’ But M. Davis has taken the time to document how he did it in plain English on his own web site and on Instructables. Plus, you can email him if you have questions!

(Image Source: M. Davis Site)

Based on Davis’ writeup, the skills needed to build a solar panel like this are:

Basic Woodworking Soldering Electronics Wiring

For a seasoned do-it-yourselfer those skills are old hat. But, if you’re just starting out, recruit people you know who have these skills! Building a solar panel like this could save you some good cash. You could either make like M. Davis or hand over $485 CDN to Real Goods for a 62 Watt Solar Module.

Oh, and if this project is to basic for you, try building your own wind turbine. Or better yet, build me a solar panel!

Here’s another simple do it yourself furniture project that makes use of reclaimed materials, but is just strikingly attractive….especially if you can find yourself some gorgeous wood like this Instructables member did. Go ahead. Do it yourself.

For the DIY crowd out there, here’s another way to save energy with the sun. If you like to tool around and ease the guilt that your power-feeding gadgets cause you, check out this Instructables project submission.

Have a curiosity about solar power that you’ve never pursued? Now’s your chance to use this fairly simple do it yourself project as a stepping stone to even greater applications while learning the basic calculations and considerations required!

Cliff Johnson

Materials

• solar panel
• hardware for panel mounting
• outdoor wire (cable)
• lightning arrestor
• grounding wire/stake
• charge controller
• batteries
• disconnect, fuse, switchgear
• wall switch and related wiring
• cabling for inverter
• inverter
• AC wiring from inverter to light
• light fixture and fluorescent bulb

* Note - Instructions will be provided to help you select the appropriate capacity of these components, assess the duty cycle of light, and choose an ideal location for solar-powered light.

Overview
What follows is a brief overview on installing a solar-powered fluorescent light in your home or garage. Each topic touched on is the subject of many articles unto itself, so this should be viewed as a starting point. The project will likely require further research into those aspects where you feel uncertain as to how to proceed.
Read the rest of this entry »

Hats off to all the ingenious designer-tech inventors out there! Thanks to our anonymous friend ‘Prod’, those of us with a few odd wiring and drilling skills can kill phantom power loads from all our gadget chargers. His design includes on-off switches to save our lazy souls from endless plugging and unplugging. See his photos and instructions on the Instructables web site.

Build your own in 2 hours!

Inspired during a family kitchen renovation five years ago, I spared two cupboard doors from their upcoming haul to the landfill, snatching them for this project. It’s a shame I hadn’t the space to store the rest of them, nor the time to whip them all into shelves back then. I think that was before freecycle even existed. Now, this little unit stands in my new home, bringing back fond memories of the kitchen I grew up in.

Materials

1. Measure and cut your top and second shelf pieces from the discarded ends.
2. Measure and cut your end piece so that its ends are flush with the cabinet door edges.
3. Sand, stain and oil parts, taking care to treat cut ends and gouges with extra linseed oil. Leave to dry about eight hours.
4. Pre-drill holes to avoid splitting wood, and screw components together. I pinned mine together with finishing nails to hold the pieces in place before installing the screws.
5. Attach decorative door pulls.
6. Reapply oil as needed.

*Wondering how to make home-made stain? I found a recipe from Home and Garden Television and adapted it by switching out food colouring for instant coffee. Have fun and experiment with other natural dyes!

As we all know, the planet and the pocketbook wins when we reuse instead of purchasing brand new. From this one simple act, we save money, energy, and effort while preventing production-related pollution (say that five times fast). Reusing breeds creativity when an innovative mind conjures a new purpose for an old cast-off.

Meet the baking pan filer. I don’t know if there was ever a simpler and more brilliant idea. Of course I must give the credit to my parents for coming up with it. The apple doesn’t fall far, does it? Show me someone who has never become frustrated or irritated with the baking pans unevenly stacked in the oven drawer, and I will pay you $5. What’s even more fun is when the pans shift and jam the drawer shut.

Now you can leave those frustrations in the past. All you need to do is:

1. Find an old vertical filer (thrift stores, garage sales, and even basements or attics are great sources)

2. Empty a cupboard.

3. File your pans in the filer, in the cupboard, like so.

Edmonton’s Reuse Centre

Drop off your stuff, pick up supplies, or both!

Location: 10004-103A Avenue (the green & brick building between CN and City Hall)

If you’re an Edmonton eco-crafter, you might remember the long-missed Imagination Market. Edmonton’s Reuse Centre is the new place for camp staff, teachers, daycare workers, crafters, artists, and non-profit organizers to practice reducing consumption, by reusing some great resources and experimenting with their creative abilities!

The Reuse Centre collects everyday items from residents and make them available to groups and individuals who will reuse them. Coming soon: workshops on creative waste reduction and a monthly featured “junk artists”! Flexible volunteer opportunities exist if you, your family or group would like to help out.

The Reuse Centre does not accept items that are already collected by many local charities such as clothing, furniture, appliances and electronics. A listing of charities that are in need of these items is available through the ‘Reuse Directory’ (www.edmonton.ca/reusedirectory). Edmontonians can now reuse anytime during the week and make use of the existing Reuse Directory, Reuse Fairs, and the Donating for Reuse booklet.

Contact: phone (780) 442-4380 or email reusecentre@edmonton.ca

Hours of Operation:
Tuesdays 12-6
Wednesdays 12-6
Thursdays 12-8
Fridays 12-6
Saturdays 10-4
Closed Sundays, Mondays and Stat holidays

Cost: Pick-up of materials: $2 for individuals or $4 for organizations.
The quantity of materials that is taken is not related to the price, so take a bag full or a car full and it will still cost $2 for individuals or $4 for organizations!
Unlimited pick-up with a yearly membership: $20 for individuals or $40 for organizations.

Website: http://www.edmonton.ca/reuse

Reuse Centre Acceptable Donation Material:
(listed in full at http://www.edmonton.ca/reuse)

Know of a similar centre in another Canadian city? Enter it below!