[Ibon]

Thought I would share with all my peak oil friends a picture of yours truly soaking in 1349 gallons of 105 degree water.


This make shift jacuzzi is the dump where excess power flows via our electronic load governor.



Whatever is not being used of the constant 8kw of power ends up dumped into this water tank heated by qty 8 220V 1500W heating elements, the same ones found in standard domestic hot water tanks.


Our hydro system bakes our bread, heats water, powers all our lights, cooks our rice, runs all our power tools and powers the small microwave antennae that provides us with the internet service that I am using at this moment sending this post. We are off the grid and 20km to the nearest town.



Ibon

[Quinny]

You're just trying to show off and make us jealous

[stephankrasner]

Wait... How exactly does this work? Is it water flow that generates the electricity or is it the heat from the water? This is unbelievably cool BTW

[Ibon]

Wait... How exactly does this work?

200 meters of 8 inch PVC pipe drops 35 meters creating enough head pressure to the pelton wheel (in the blue housing) that when connected to the generator (look at belt linking pelton wheel to generator) we have a constant output of 8KW. Just like any grid the electricity cant be stored and that which is not used to run the house and cabins is dumped into that 1300 gallon cement pool. The load governor has micro processors prioritizing power to the homes and dumping excess into the pool. The excess electricity is converted to heat. Here are a few more photos https://picasaweb.google.com/1148388491 ... -dTjsOXCaA

[Crusty]

Well Done, that's Fantastic!!!

I really should work out how to post Photo's on this thing as I feel it would really motivate people to get going on their plans. I spend each morning reading this stuff and just the text motivates me to get out in the Garden. Just finished burying 300m of 2" Rural pipe from my Header tank to all area's of my Garden. Only 4m of head but enough for my sprinklers etc.

It's not showing off, it's showing How!!

Keep up the Good Work Ibon!!

[careinke]

SWEET! Very nice set up, I'm envious.

An efficient way to generate electricity on our place is the major thing I have not figured out how to do yet. I've got the stuff to rig up a solar power system to charge my hand tools, but that is about it.

On the other hand, except for this computer, I really have no NEED of electricity. But it sue makes life easier.

[SeaGypsy]

I've got a way better idea Ibon. Invert your thinking and make ice? I know freezers are a lot more technical than simple heat sink elements, but surely the product would be high value in Panama?

[Ibon]

I've got a way better idea Ibon. Invert your thinking and make ice? I know freezers are a lot more technical than simple heat sink elements, but surely the product would be high value in Panama?

Would be a great idea if I was down at sea level and close to population center to deliver the ice. But our altitude is 6500 feet, temperatures are very cool in the mornings and only reach mid 80F mid afternoons. The other problem is EROEI.... the net energy gain would be negative when delivery to the nearest town would require burning fossil fuels to get there (20km, 10km on nasty 4WD road)

My wife does make stream powered popsicles sorbet for the children of our staff and guests from the wild raspberries we pick in the pastures. That is the closest we have gotten to your suggestion

[SeaGypsy]

What does it cost to send a couple of guys down the hill with a wheelbarrow between them? That is definitely what I would do if in a similar situation in the Philippines. Ice is big money.

Edit to elaborate:
a half liter is the standard purchase block of ice in many 3rd world countries, it is cut or crushed up and mixed with drinks. 5 cents would be a rough average price for this. I can carry 80 liters in a wheelbarrow downhill about 5kmh (don't ask me how I know this).
Well wrapped that is still going to be 70 liters of ice in the tropics by the time I have done about 10 km. $7.00 roughly. The guys I would hire to do this work would otherwise be recycling garbage by hand or harvesting/ drying rice, earning about $3 a day when things go well. Running ice down the hill would earn them a pay rise and give a little pleasure to the locals, a little goes a very long way in poor countries as I am sure you are aware Ibon

[Ibon]

The guys I would hire to do this work would otherwise be recycling garbage by hand or harvesting/ drying rice, earning about $3 a day when things go well. Running ice down the hill would earn them a pay rise and give a little pleasure to the locals, a little goes a very long way in poor countries as I am sure you are aware Ibon

Alright you are slowly convincing me. Since we shouldn't talk about solutions in isolation we have to see thing more integrative. Since I have to drive my pick up down the hill an average of once a week anyway then why not let 6 days of ice production fall in the intervals of my weekly visits to town. Since the drive is down hill mostly the added weight of the ice wouldn't cost that much extra fossil fuels hauling it.

Now if I find some old used floor freezer on the cheap I'm good to go. Years ago I sold italian ice in Manhatten earning money for college and travel. Maybe I need to reconsider also the possibility of returning to this old job. I could make 100% all natural italian ice this from the fruits we are growing; raspberry, lemon, cherimoya, loquat flavors. Take this down to town and set myself up in the town square selling italian ice and chatting with the locals.

This is a very nice thought.......who knows, it might be a pleasant change of routine from attending to the needs of entomologists and birdwatchers

[SeaGypsy]

It's meant to be obviously. What a beautiful thing life can be.
I guess it would be no problemo to get locally grown sugar? Organic? Eggs?
Then you've got organic fruit ice-sorbet people will fly from all over the world just to taste it! (we can only hope their education whilst at cloud farm will more than offset their trip's carbon footprint )

[Ibon]

(we can only hope their education whilst at cloud farm will more than offset their trip's carbon footprint )

I will share an interesting observation. Our site in Panama is frequented primarily by professional and amateur naturalists. Not so much by yoru general ecotourist. The demographic of this group are well educated and usually grey haired and older than 45. Partially this is a result in the way I market the place. I enjoy very much the company of PHD researchers who have travelled to far corners of the planet in their biodiversity studies.

Here is what is interesting. They are only superficially aware of peak oil but almost universally ardent proponents of population control. Mostly atheists and very much in favor of radical population control methods. They see the origin of resource constraints more an issue of population than consumption.

These folks share my view that if we only had a billion or so humans we could have a planet where we could indulge in the luxuries of abundance that this planet has to offer.

Peak Oil in other words is mostly a symptom of over population.

All ecosystems allow a certain redundancy and waste.

We could enjoy luxurious energy expenditures if we would have kept our population to around 2 billion. We could enjoy the privilege in other words of travelling guilt free and burning fossil fuels collecting bugs in far corners of the planet or watching birds of paradise in New Guinea.

This is the typical mindset of naturalists that were trained and raised in the 60's - 70's. I am a member of this group.

It's just interesting how this particular slice of society views things.

[JRP3]

Here is what is interesting. They are only superficially aware of peak oil but almost universally ardent proponents of population control. Mostly atheists and very much in favor of radical population control methods. They see the origin of resource constraints more an issue of population than consumption.

These folks share my view that if we only had a billion or so humans we could have a planet where we could indulge in the luxuries of abundance that this planet has to offer.

That's so rational it gave me chills.

[SeaGypsy]

Makes sense when you are old enough to remember when there were less than 4 billion on the planet and anyone with a scientific mind was already saying it's too many. Along with all the other wisdom which was common knowledge in scientific circles but got ignored the last 3 to 4 decades. More than a little frustrating.

[Pretorian]

I can imagine Ibon becoming an ice-cream king of Panama, laying waste to his own paradise so he can get an office in downtown , wear a suit and ratrace 12 hours a day. Jokes aside, I think the ice idea is pretty cool.

[rangerone314]

I've got a way better idea Ibon. Invert your thinking and make ice? I know freezers are a lot more technical than simple heat sink elements, but surely the product would be high value in Panama?

Sounds like the plot line to "Mosquito Coast"

[SeaGypsy]

Which was really pretty pathetic. Ibon is already a long way ahead of where that particular piece of anti-survivalist propoganda's characters were.