You want to live a life without big bank loans and car payments. One that’s independent and free of stress. You’ve decided to take matters into your own hands and start creating your own energy. Why not? The world’s going green, and what could be more natural than generating your own power? You can make your own clean energy, and you can do it all with items you probably already have in your own home. Don’t believe it? Keep reading. We’re going to teach you how.
The Basics Of Making A Solar Generator
A solar generator is very simply made. For the sake of this tutorial, let’s say you’ve decided to go with a passive solar energy approach. What this means is that you’re going to use the sun’s heat to heat up a pool of water. As the water heats up, it will produce steam, which turns a turbine, thus generating electricity. You can then use this electricity to charge up your laptop, cell phone, or anything that can run on electricity. Pretty cool, eh? Let’s get started.
Step 1: Collecting The Materials
The first step is to make sure you have all the necessary materials. For this project, you’ll need:
- A plastic tarp
- Cement
- Steel wool (available at any home center)
- A wooden board
- Tin foil
- A small fan
- A drill (optional)
You’re going to start by laying down the plastic tarp on the ground, making sure it’s large enough to cover your pool (if you have one).
Step 2: Lay Up The Ceiling For The Pool
Now, you need to lay up the ceiling for your pool. For this part, you’ll need help from a professional, but it’s not difficult. Just follow these easy steps:
- Drill four 2.1″ holes near the center of your ceiling where you’ll put in your downlights (lights you’ll turn on when the sun isn’t available).
- Put in your downlights, being careful not to hit any electrical wires.
- Install a ceiling fan to help circulate air in your house.
- If you’d like, you can add a small heater to your pool to make it warmer. Just remember: don’t put heaters in pools smaller than 10′ x 10′. If your pool isn’t that big, it’s best to just enjoy the natural sunlight.
- The last thing you want to do is put plastic on the ground around your pool. This is where most heat escapees, causing your pool to heat up quicker than expected. Just remove it whenever it gets too hot.
Once these items are in place, it’s time to gather your tools. You’ll need a drill (for the wooden board) and an electric saw (for the tin foil and the wooden board). Finally, you’ll need strong adhesive tape and wire cutters.
Step 3: Cut The Wooden Board
Now, it’s time to cut your wooden board. Before you start, prepare the surface you’re going to saw on by sanding it back with sandpaper. You want to give it a smooth and even surface to make it easier to drill through. After you’ve prepared the surface, you can start cutting. Cut a piece of cardboard and wrap it around your pool to keep the debris from falling into the pool. When you finish cutting your wooden board, discard of the cardboard and bring in some garden clippers to snip the ends off your board.
Step 4: Attach The Tin Foil
Next, you have to attach the tin foil. This is going to be the skin of your solar generator. Simply take the tape, put it on the wooden board, and then stick the tin foil over it. If you want, you can trim some of the edges off the tin foil to give it that perfect fit around your pool.
Step 5: Place The Steel Wool On The Surface
Now, you need to spread the steel wool on the surface. You want to cover the entire surface with it, but be careful not to go overboard and cover all the electrical wires or else it’s going to be difficult to work.
Step 6: Drill Two Holes, One At Each End
In this step, you’re going to drill two holes at each end of your metallic skin. The first hole is going to be large enough for the head of your screwdriver, and the other one is going to be smaller and located nearby for the handle. You want to make sure you have the right-sized handle for your screwdriver. As mentioned earlier, your pool has to be at least 10′ x 10′ to make it easier to place the fan and the downlights. For this step, you’ll need to use your drill with an additional step down bit. This way, you can make two smaller holes near the corners of your pool and still be able to reach your intended objective.
Step 7: Install The Fan
After you’ve drilled the holes, it’s time to install the fan. For this step, you’ll need to lift up the plastic tarp and lay the fan on the ground with the shaft sticking out of the pool. Then, you have to secure it in place with some tape, making sure not to cover up any electrical wires. Finally, put some protective tape around the base to keep the dirt from getting inside.
Step 8: Measure And Cut The Trousers
After you’ve done all that, it’s time to cut the trouser, which is the long piece of tubing leading to your turbine. The first thing you need to do is remove all the plastic and cut the length you need. Then, use some tape to join the two pieces you’ve cut off. Finally, attach a fitting to one end and a hose to the other end to create a watertight seal. Your pool is now ready for action.
As you can see, making a solar generator isn’t that difficult. You basically just need to follow these eight steps, and you’ll be able to enjoy clean energy generation right in your backyard!