RETScreen

The RETScreen Clean Energy Project Analysis Software is a unique decision support tool developed with the contribution of numerous experts from government, industry, and academia. The software, provided free-of-charge, can be used worldwide to evaluate the energy production and savings, costs, emission reductions, financial viability and risk for various types of Renewable-energy and Energy-efficient Technologies (RETs). The [...]

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HOMER Energy

HOMER is a computer model that simplifies the task of evaluating design options for both off-grid and grid-connected power systems for remote, stand-alone, and distributed generation (DG) applications. HOMER’s optimization and sensitivity analysis algorithms allow you to evaluate the economic and technical feasibility of a large number of technology options and to account for variation [...]

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Recycle an old umbrella into a fold-away cloche

permaculture.co.uk writes… “Blustery winters often put paid to a few brollies, but if you find a clear one with plastic intact try this tip for turning it into a plant protecting cloche…”   “On a recent foraging trip, beneath the brambles I found a rusting umbrella covered with clear plastic. It was almost undamaged and [...]

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Buid it solar – Plans, tools and information to do renewable energy and conservation projects

Plans, tools and information  to do  renewable energy and conservation projects. Hundreds of projects — from changing a light bulb to building a solar home. Design information and tools for building renewable energy projects. An Experimental section for backyard inventors. Nothing For Sale here — just free ideas, plans, and information. [Build-It-Solar]

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Farmers’ Handbook

Craig Mackintosh from Permaculture.org.au writes… “Worldwide, mainstream aid projects tend to deal with the symptoms of problems, rather than the problems themselves. In fact, often aid projects actually exacerbate the root issue, by supply free food and clothing that undermines the ability of people on the ground to make a living. In other words, we [...]

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USDA Zones…Gardener Powered!

Our zone map is created by thousands of gardeners from all around the world. Sign up and add your zone! Search by address on this map to find your local USDA Zone! (anywhere in the world) map [folia]

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Cartagen 0.5 – Mapping Tools

Cartagen (http://cartagen.org) is a vector-based, client-side framework for rendering maps in native HTML 5. Written in JavaScript, it uses the new Canvas element to load mapping data from various sources, including OpenStreetMap. In short, Cartagen lets you make beautiful, customized maps with a simple stylesheet. Maps are styled with Geographic Style Sheets (GSS), a cascading [...]

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Learn how to use a dumpy, tilting, automatic, or rotating laser level

There are many types of leveling instruments.  This website shows you how to set one up. How to use a level?

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Climate change in Google Earth

Explore the potential impacts of climate change on our planet Earth and find out about possible solutions for adaptation and mitigation, ahead of the UN’s climate conference in Copenhagen in December (COP15). Find out more and raise your voice about climate change on the YouTube COP15 channel! To further explore the IPCC tours download them into Google Earth. To [...]

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How to make a rocket stove

* IMPORTANT NOTE * be sure to use BLACK STOVE PIPE when building rocket stoves… apparently, the silver galvanized piping used in this video releases toxins while burning. source

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