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3 DIY Alternative Energy Projects for the Weekend

Posted on February 26, 2016 by piglet
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DIY Alternative Energy Projects You Can Do

Some people may get more benefits from simply finding ways to make their homes more energy efficient for conventional energy projects. However, these fun and very doable DIY alternative energy projects can be done in a few days or over the weekend, and they are a good way to get introduced to how simple some types of free or cheap energy really are to use. They also make good educational projects to do with kids. Of course, they should all be done with adult supervision. These project do supply real power, so they can be somewhat hazardous for people who aren’t careful.

If you want step-by-step instructions for these home energy projects, simply visit this link: Instructions for DIY home energy projects. We selected our favorites, but you can also search around that resource to find more. Our own picks were based upon projects that looked useful and could really be done by relatively handy people.

These are three picks for simple, fast, and cheap DIY  home energy projects:

  1. Build your own wind turbine out of bike wheels: This looks like a good project because the inventor managed to get it to work on the first try. You can benefit from his experience. As written, it took some simple welding skills, but it might be possible to use fasteners if you don’t care to weld. You might also be able to get parts welded at a machine shop pretty cheaply. Anyway, it works with a chain drive attached to a generator.
  2. Solar phone charger: This is a fun project that uses a metal tin like the ones that Altoids come in. You can actually make the charger to work with all sorts of small devices. It doesn’t need any exotic skills or supplies, and you should be able to complete it pretty quickly. One warning is to use a voltage meter to keep from overcharging your device. You might want to test the charger on an old device that you aren’t currently relying on.
  3. DIY solar water heater: There is a project that can help you build a DIY home solar water heater for about $5 to $10. It’s useful more for outdoor applications, but with modifications it could be scaled to actually supply household hot water needs. One of the first and most basic uses of solar energy is heating water.

 

These three Do-it-yourself projects were selected because they work, are within the capacities of lots of our readers, and are a good introduction to the way that alternative energy can be very useful. They are also pretty cheap, and you may have the materials that you need around the house. After you complete these projects, you might get excited enough to work on some larger projects or have a professional alternative energy system installed.

Related articles across the web

  • Using 3D printing to create molds for utility scale wind turbine blades | Energy.gov

1 thought on “3 DIY Alternative Energy Projects for the Weekend”

  1. Dave Baines says:
    August 25, 2022 at 12:22 pm

    I think a solar water heater offers a great starter DIY alternative energy project for most people. That’s true if it’s a DIY project or an installation from a commercial solar provider. Either way, these ideas look like good sources of inspiration.

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