Homemade Solar Panels - So easy a teenager can build it

Building your own solar panels are so easy that a teenager can do it.

Watch the video below to see how an example of a solar panel system built by a teenager as a high school science fair project.

And this is certainly not the only video on the topic. Browse YouTube and you will find lots of examples of how to build your own homemade solar panels.

The end point here is that if a teenager can do it, then you can probably do it too. Which means there is no reason why people couldn't build their own solar panel grids for their home.





Also below is a 2nd video of a teenager who built a "solar death ray" (amusing title more than anything) out of mirrors that creates an intense heat that can melt rocks and metal - which combined with a single small voltaic solar panel could produce significant electricity for your home.

The Treehouse Idea

How long could a person live in a treehouse?

Theoretically, a very long time... depending on the weather.

I think the primary issue with living in a treehouse would be heat and insulation. Its not like a regular home. Its more like a tent in terms of its insulation capabilities.

However adding extra insulation to a tree house is not impossible. All it would take is some carpentry and construction skills, and knowledge of how to insulate.

In my opinion the easiest way would be to make seamless walls out of wood, an outer section of wood (with all holes caulked), and then insulate between the two sections with an insulating foam which hardens and forms air bubbles.

Heating wise I'd recommend lanterns that run on kerosene, candles, etc, both as a source of light and warmth. I recommend using bricks or stones to create a stone area on which to safely store lanterns / candles.

Plumbing

In theory you could collect rainwater and use that for cleaning, but realistically there isn't much point in doing that inside a treehouse. It would make more sense to wash everything in a nearby river, one with exceptionally clean crisp water.

For expelling bodily fluids building an outhouse on the ground level seems the logical route. I recommend designing it in a way so that rainwater can be collected for flushing/controlling the smell and storing the septic material deeper underground, preferably in some kind of metal tank.

Food

Some people might prefer to use such waste as fertilizer for growing plants. Ideally I think this should done by building a greenhouse, but a person could also make a traditional outdoor garden and make the effort of weeding / making sure insects/pests don't eat all the produce.

Water, Drinking

It should be noted, due to bacteria, that you should not be drinking rainwater or stream water. Thus what I would recommend instead is natural juices (apples, orange juice, grapes, etc). At least then you know it will be safe. Otherwise what you end up doing is having to buy clean water...

Or get a water filtration system, which means you need electricity, and a source of water (a well preferably).

Check out the following video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98h086DWLaY

#1 Connecting With Nature

By Aimee Rimes

In the beginning I wanted to start rock balancing as a way to connect with nature. Then sharing the joy of rock balancing with on lookers and friends became quite intriguing. Everyone has their own vision when they see the rocks balanced, from disbelief to inspiration. A lot of the time, people are really drawn into the rock art and ask questions and want to try it out for themselves. What's neat about rock art is that it can reach so many different people on different levels of skill and age, and connects us together as people as well as to the earth.

This is a practice that I have been doing for 2 years now, and find that it is a great stress relief, by the extreme focus that it takes to balance rocks makes the rest of the world disappear into a single focal point, where the mind, body and spirit are connect as one. For me, I am able to let go of many of thoughts and stored energy that I need to let go of, and not the rock of course!

Through rock balancing I have met so many wonderful people, and each tell me a different story about the sceen before them and how they feel about the rocks. Some have a quick inspiration and other prefer to stay as on lookers, in any event, it captivates that hearts and minds of many.

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This post was imported from Canada Rock Art Balancing to Project Gridless.

More photos from April 24th

The following is a selection of our rock balancing art from April 24th 2011.

April 23rd and 24th Rock Balancing at Toronto Beaches

The following is a selection of rock balancing sculptures we made on April 23rd and 24th at Toronto Beaches. Each night the wind / tide knocks the rocks down and we have to start afresh the next morning.

Sometimes teenagers or the Toronto Parks Dept. knocks the rocks down, but it doesn't matter. Just means we get to be more creative the next day.

To get to Toronto Beaches, take the subway to Main Street station, take one of the buses going south to Queen Street East. Then walk south to the beach. Voila!



As you can see it was rather rainy and overcast that weekend. Well, at least it wasn't blistering hot.





This one took two of us to put up.



In the above photo Aimee admires our work.

April 30th, encounters with rock balancers

By Aimee Rimes

Yesterday we met Avaiz Hashmi down on the Toronto Beaches while we were balancing rocks.

We're hoping he will join our blog.

While he was balancing rocks a man and his son also ended up helping Avaiz. It seems that whenever someone sees people balancing rocks they are 2 things:

#1. They are amazed and/or think we used superglue.

#2. They want to try it themselves. The more childlike they are the more likely they seem to want to try it themselves.

Yesterday we had two men squabbling over the best way to balance a set of rocks we let them knock over in an attempt to beat what we had balanced. It was amusing to watch their efforts. They probably learned a fair bit however.

We believe that anyone can learn how to balance rocks, it just takes patience as one kid kept repeating yesterday.

:)

In the beginning there was rocks...

In the beginning there was rocks...

They were just lying there on the beach.

And then along came Aimee Rimes and she decided these rocks looked lonely just lying half covered in sand.

So she picked one up and moved it.

And then another.

And then she stacked them.

Pretty soon she was balancing the rocks one on top of another.

Sometimes the balancing rocks looked pretty bizarre.

She kept doing this regularly, mostly on weekends.

Aimee keeps fussing about wanting to be called by her nicknames like Littlefeather, Rainmaker, Amy Motion and Amy Rockstein. Seriously, the girl can't think of a good name to call herself. Suggestions anyone?

She started this on July 2009. Since then she has met other artists (including Charles Moffat, who setup this wonderful blog and is writing this) who joined her rock balancing group.

Aimee wants to use her rock balancing art to promote peace and understanding. Environmental issues are good too.

If you want to donate we will be setting up a PayPal account for donations.

In the meantime, please enjoy the rock balancing art we have displayed here.

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This post was imported from Canada Rock Art Balancing to Project Gridless.