Renewable Energy
The basement has been taken over to work on renewable energy projects.
The cellar space at Oaken Clough is currently unused and we plan to use this as a laboratory / workshop space for building and testing renewable energy projects.
Aims:
· Provide a laboratory / workshop space for local people interested in building renewable energy projects to build and test experimental ideas.
· Provide a focus for sharing information and skills.
· As far as possible make use of recycled materials such as discarded electrical appliances and automobile scrap.
· Projects to include wind turbine, solar heating and photo voltaics and possibly hydro electric power.
· The initial aim is to provide practical demonstrations of renewable energy techniques as an educational resource, but ultimately the goal is to supply some of the energy needs of the building from renewable resources.
Initial project:
· Wind Turbine.
The initial project is for a small wind turbine which can generate sufficient power to charge 12v lead-acid batteries in order to provide lighting for out buildings. This is based on a design successfully implemented by renewable energy enthusiasts in the Mojave desert in the U.S. Based on information from the Centre for Alternative Energy in Wales some modifications have been made to this design to allow for the local wind conditions. Many of the components of the design are obtained from re-cycled materials.
· Turbine blades constructed from a discarded length off drainage pipe
· Scrap automobile alternator provides the generated electrical power
· Belt drive and bearings recovered from an old washing machine
· Battery pack from a discarded computer power supply
Future projects:
There are a number of possibilities for future projects
· Solar water heating. Simple solar water heaters can be constructed from scrap plumbing components such as discarded radiators.
· Solar reflector. This focuses the suns rays to generate heat for a Stirling Engine or other heat-based system.
· Stirling engine .A form of heat engine which can convert heated water into motive power to drive an electric generator.
· Photo voltaic cells. Photo voltaic cells recovered from discarded garden lights can be assembled into a solar panel array to provide electric power. A cost effective alternative to commercial solar panels.
· Hydro Power. Using the flow of water used to rotate a turbine.
Funding:
Funding is required to equip a workshop with the tools and test gear needed to build and test renewable energy projects. A fully equipped workshop would provide a resource for local people to acquire the skills to build their own renewable energy projects.
We are pleased to announce as of 17/7/11 that the MTVCA has acquired funding for these projects.
Projects we are undertaking
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The storage area of the basement.
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The shelving and work slab area. |
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Paint cans ready for the house refurb. |
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Some of the materials for the turbine and heating projects. |
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The current state of the lab. |
Orange wind turbine Maplin wind turbine And...Charge! [Batteries]