Chelsea Green Blog

Renewable Energy

Earth Day

Earth Day Reading: 13 Essential Books

This year, people all around the world are celebrating a milestone—the 50th anniversary of this international day of action for our environment. Why not celebrate Earth Day by reading about our great planet? We’ve compiled 13 books to get you started! In Courting the Wild Twin, Dr. Martin Shaw invites us to seek out our wild…

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biochar

How to Make Biochar

For something that looks like a lump of charcoal, biochar certainly has a great press agent. The subject of books, articles, blog posts, research papers, workshop presentations, conference talks, and various top-ten-ideas-that-will-change-the-world lists. Its potential ability to address a variety of global challenges is indisputably large. So, how exactly do you make this strange material?…

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solar cooker

Solar Cooker & Dehydrator: How to Design Your Own

In today’s world, nearly everything we use, from phones and computers to cars and kitchen appliances, requires energy derived from fossil fuels. Wouldn’t it be nice to offset some of that energy use by harnessing the renewable power of the sun? Josh Trought, founder of D Acres—an educational center in New Hampshire that researches, applies,…

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solar panels

Replacing Windows? Understand Your New Glass Options

Having been in my passive solar home for 35 years, my original Alcoa windows were showing their age. The time had come to upgrade. My current experience of selecting which window and glass type to purchase turned out to be more formidable than I anticipated even as a professional in solar home design. There now…

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wind turbines

US Leads World in Wind Production (Sort of): A Green Milestone

The US has just passed a significant milestone: according to the Global Wind energy Council (h/t EcoGeek), last year the US overtook Germany to become, for the first time, the leader in wind power capacity. Of course, the US isn’t the only country increasing its wind power. Worldwide, according to Steve Sawyer, Secretary General of…

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cooling box

Evaporative Cooling Box: A DIY Project

Learn how to make an evaporative cooling box from home this weekend with these helpful & simple tips! The following is an excerpt from The Carbon Free Home: 36 Remodeling Projects to Help Kick the Fossil-Fuel Habit by Stephen & Rebekah Hren. It has been adapted for the Web. How to Make An Evaporative Cooling…

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sun and mountains

Heat Your Home with Renewable Fuels: The G.O.R.E. Project

The following article has been adapted for the web from Natural Home Heating: The Complete Guide to Renewable Energy Options by Greg Pahl. Shifting from our current reliance on fossil fuels to the use of renewable sources of energy is a tall order. But every little bit helps, and changing the way we heat our…

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pellett stove

Your Complete Guide to Pellet Stoves: Leave Oil Heat Behind

Learn everything there is to know about heating your home with pellet stoves! Say goodbye to oil heat in no time. The following article is excerpted from Natural Home Heating: The Complete Guide to Renewable Energy Options by Greg Pahl. During the energy crisis of 1973, the Boeing Company asked Dr. Jerry Whitfield, a fuel…

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wind turbine

Using a Hybrid Solar & Wind System: Tips for Living Off-the-Grid

The following article is excerpted from Wind Power by Paul Gipe. Prior to the development of interconnected wind turbines, wind generators had historically been used for powering remote sites where utility power was nonexistent (see figure 1 1-1, Off-the-grid wind systems). These home light plants used wind machines and banks of batteries sized to carry…

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