Renewable Energy – Battery Powered Bikes And Trikes.

A quick look today at Battery powered bikes and trikes. I do like battery power, and electrical power in general, because electricity is a truly renewable fuel. It’s all around us, and apart from the initial materials to be able to access it renewably, electricity is there for the taking in abundance, and the taking of which, compared to non renewable methods, has a minutely minimal, if any, detrimental effect on our environment.

As you can see from the YouTube video’s some of the designs, look pretty easy to put together on a DIY basis.

My favourite design for its quirkiness, is the rechargeable drill driven trike. Though this might turn out to be an expensive option, as it’s not really in the DIY field. Its range is only really limited by how many batteries you can carry, but on one battery, it’s ideal for a quick trip to the local shops, so long as they are not more than 2 miles away, or less, because if you’re doing the weekly shop, well, best to use the car, preferably an electric one. If you do use this trike for a shopping trip, remember to disconnect the drill, and take it with you, and make sure you have plenty of chain and padlocks, because with such a tempting item on display, the not so honest citizens, who seem to abound nowadays, would soon make it disappear.

I have to say though, that the last video does grab my attention, and is the best example I have seen yet of a DIY or otherwise, electric bike. It ticks all the boxes.

If you do actually want to buy a ready made battery powered bike or trike, as I’ve said above, it probably won’t come cheap, I’d love to own one, $3.500 is just a bit too steep, though doubtless there are cheaper options on the market. I think the DIY route would certainly be very much less expensive, and achieve the same ends, with a good deal of satisfaction to boot.

The everyday bike or trike looks to be a pretty easy conversion to battery power, and as an exercise in learning and understanding battery powered vehicles, and also as a precurser to more ambitious projects, bikes and trikes are a good place to start.

A bit of advice though, if you are thinking of building an electric trike, the 2 wheels at the front, 1 at the back configuration is the best, assuming that the drive is going to be at the back, because then you won’t have to worry about a differential in your drive train. Because remember, when you turn corners, the outside wheel always travels faster and further than the inside wheel., and if you have a solid axle, then you are going to have problems.

Magniwork E Book Review. 0/10.

Ok, I’m missing something here. Judging by the testimonials, the Magniwork generator is the best thing since sliced bread, or even better. Apparently it’s very easy to construct, and the instructions are easy to follow. Well, I’m not exactly mechanically challenged, being a mechanical technician myself, and if all the testimonials are genuine, then I should have no trouble at all in constructing one of my own.

Where does that leave me? Pretty well totally non plussed.

I have several issues with the whole Magniwork package, such as it is.

Issue 1/ I have read the Magniwork E book through several times, and I can find nowhere, any information on how to get in touch with the Magniwork technical team.

Issue 2/ On the Magniwork capture page, it clearly states, and certainly gives the belief that the generator built with these plans, will be able to provide sufficient renewable power to reduce the average domestic power bill by around 50%. Well, the generator rotor dimensions are 2” in diameter, by 1 3/4” in depth, so by any stretch of the imagination, the few small magnets on that, are not going to produce any significant power at all. During my research, any magnetic generator that has been capable of powering a house, even in part, has been a pretty hefty piece of machinery. The one generator I’ve seen of the Magniwork size was just capable of powering a very small LED bulb. So, I suppose that if you are using a small LED bulb for any reason in your home, then it could be said that the Magniwork generator would reduce your power bill. Though I think that pay back would probably be achieved by your great, great grand children, but even that is a very optimistic estimation.

The E book does actually say that you can build a full size machine, that will power your house. However, no instructions are given for the dimensions of said machine, and anyway,

Issue 3/ This issue would immediately be a problem for most of us. The construction of the rotor requires machine shop facilities, which I suspect, most of us don’t have access to. Six grooves 0.260” deep, and 23/32 wide, 60deg apart and the length of the rotor, have to be cut, and a groove 5/16” deep and ¼” wide, has to be cut around the circumference of the middle of the rotor. Not only that, but also, an acrylic ring has to be fabricated with a .030” wide and ¼” deep groove at some point on its surface, presumably the diameter of the stator. Not the sort of operation you can do in your garage with a file and a hammer and chisel. So unless you have a lathe and a shaper in your garage, it’s going to be just a bit impossible, unless you are very good with a file and hammer and chisel, to fabricate these components.

The E book does actually say that you can build a full size machine, that will power your house. However, no instructions are given for the dimensions of said machine, and anyway, to build such a machine would, given the size it would have to be, would be a major engineering job, requiring substantial workshop facilities, far beyond the means that any serious DIYer would generally have in a small home workshop.

Oh yes, this small machine has to hand cranked up to 2100rpm for 42 seconds before it becomes self sustaining. Thouh I should think that anyone capable of fabricating the major components of the magniwork generator, and having the machinery to do, would not find the design and fabrication of a mechanical cranking device too arduous a task.

I do have a lot more issues about said E Book, but I think I’ve made my point

There are some reviews on the Magniwork E Book, which are glowing testimonials to the ease of construction of the Magniwork generator and its power producing capabilities, which probably have more to do with the commission paid on each sale, than any factual act of building this machine.

I’ve included a You Tube video, which shows the size and construction of a proper magnetic generator that should be capable of powering a house. I do have this video elsewhere on my blog but it’s easier if I include it here.

I would like to add that I do believe the magnetic generator is a fact, and that it does work, but the Magniwork generator is just not in the ball park.

Unless you have substantial workshop facilities, and abilities, building a magnetic generator big enough to power your house even in part, is not a DIY option.

So there you are, make of this report what you will. I have written as I see it, which may or may not be the view of the majority. If you have purchased The Magniwork E Book, I would very much like to hear from you, via a comment on my blog. Positive, or negative, any comments are welcome. Only constructive comments please, and no bad language, no matter what you think of my review. If there are positive comments about Magniwork, that can be proved, I would more than welcome them.

Sorry to drag this out, but a thought has just struck me; it’s a bit strange that the Magniwork author has no video of a working Magniwork generator. A video tutorial would not be so hard to arrange either. Anyway, enough is enough. Catch you on my next post.

Foot note: My blog is about information, and helping people. I will not endorse a product that I believe is misrepresentative, and misleading, so I have removed the link to the Magniwork E Book site from my blog.

Magnetic car with a difference.

Now then, here’s a vid of a novel DIY energy car, and very cheap, might just be a problem with the stearing though, and the sat nav looks a bit random, and tends to follow the traffic. Looks like this vehicle is probably a prototype, so with a bit more research it might just be a winner, but don’t hold your breath.

RACV Energy Breakthrough 1923 (Snub Pollard)

Why DIY Wind And Solar Power?

This is another very interesting article on the benefits of DIY energy for the home. It’s something that we will all need to be thinking of sooner than most of us think.
When I was living in Cyprus in the early 70’s, nearly every house, in fact, come to think of it, every house had solar heating on its roof. I know that Cyprus has a lot of sun, but for solar energy, all that is needed is daylight, though sun does help. But a combination of sun and wind should do the trick, and with the magnetic generator gaining ground, everyone could be self sufficient in power, and certainly very cheaply as well, if the appropriate DIY Energy guides are followed.
So let’s get the DIY Energy wagon on the road.

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Earth For Energy Home Ideas Guide by Ben Gee

Proponents of renewable energy are always challenged on its practicality. The fact is we’re past that as it has become rather an issue of necessity. As our environment bleeds away at an alarming rate from the effects of runaway waste levels from conventional energy, alternative sources of power must be deployed urgently. The obvious solution is Wind Power Generators, renewable water and sunlight.

The situation is getting increasingly compelling by the day. Given the pollution, political conflict and high prices of oil and gas not to mention the sensitivities of the troublesome nuclear power, few will argue with renewable energy nowadays. It’s within reach of a great many of us in the United States. A simple solar system here and a homemade wind generator there and pretty soon, the entire neighborhood will join the green movement as more and more people experience the benefits of renewable energy first-hand.

Adopting solar power benefits the environment while doing the user a big favor too. This is because it’s green, renewable and cost much less financially in the long run. The fuel is sunlight which is free or charge and everlasting. Once installed, it’s virtually maintenance free. Nowadays, photovoltaic shingles are fancy enough to actually be an aesthetic feature of the home. Also, they are eligible for government grants and incentives in many states.

Wind energy is currently the fastest growing natural power platform in the world. It’s indirectly a form of solar energy in that wind is temperature-induced air movement as a result of the heat from the sun. Like sunlight, wind is also inexhaustible and basically non-polluting although windmills are known to generate some noise. There are usually regulations in tower height, appearance, safety and noise level to comply with in regard to residential wind power systems. Ample real estate is necessary for the wind tower and the surrounding space also.

The biggest deterrent for people to install residential solar power or homemade wind power into their home is perhaps the capital cost. Truth be told, the initial outlay can be hefty and the payback can take a while, but not if you’re handy. Yes, DIY would reduce the cost to only a fraction of that which is purchased. And it’s not too difficult either as there are ample commercial handbooks and instructional manuals available to refer to these days. Their e-versions can certainly be found in abundance on the internet.

The really affordable way to Earth For Energy is DIY. With proper guidance, it’s easy to build your own

Homemade Wind Power.

About the Author

It is not rocket science to make Homemade Wind Power and it slashes your power bills and contributes to the green movement. Let us share our views and information with you at Earth For Energy Home Ideas.

DIY Energy, And Conservation In The Community.

I’m covering some old ground here, and reiterating some of my thoughts. So a gentle reminder that we can all share in the gradual, but ever growing green revolution. As more and more people are becoming aware that it’s possible to generate home power from renewable resources, and for most of us, the only practical way to achieve this is by DIY means. By practical, I mean financially viable. Though with government grants, and initiatives, it may be possible to break even on a ready made professionally installed renewable energy system in about 10 years, and then if it’s a correctly researched system, it will produce green sustainable energy, absolutely free, for many years beyond that. These renewable energy systems, as well as eventually easing the strain on our pockets, will also not only have an immediate impact on the global environment, but also have a telling impact on the local environment, making it a much more comfortable and pleasant place to live.


















One of the things that we can each do to get things started, and to get some ideas from other like minded people would be to join, or start up a local community environmental network. Everybody has some idea on how environmental issues should be tackled, and local government may supply a good part of the funding for any green projects that will improve the local environment. Also, it’s easier in a group, or workshop, to start and carry through DIY projects, where everyone can help each other, and there may even be a couple or more old hands, that would be willing to give the benefit of their experience. This would be just one small step in making everyone aware of the changes in the forces of nature, and the changes we will all need to make, to give our world a helping hand.
Most of the changes we need to make will benefit us trmendously, such as free power, and free motoring, once payback has been achieved. So saving the planet need not be arduous, it’s only the utility companies that will make it so, with expensive green energy, but we don’t have to pander to that. I really can foresee everyone getting into the DIY energy mode, at least initially, in the not so distant future

Renwewable DIY Energy, On Grid, or Off Grid?
If you are considering a renewable energy system for your home, one of the decisions you will have to make is whether to go on grid or off grid.
The grid is the supply network that the utility companies use to deliver power to the consumer. So in renewable [...]

DIY Energy. Saving Money, and Saving the Environment

The amount of money you can save using DIY, or non DIY renewable energy devices, is directly proportional to the amount of electricity you consume. It’s no good leaving all the lights on, and all the other gadgets on standby, as well as running the washing machine, tumble dryer, dishwasher, and whatever else you can plug in. So sensible power usage is the key to successful DIY renewable energy usage, (see energy saving tips and video’s). I stress DIY, because if you go the ready made professional installation route, it’s going to take a lot of years to get any return on your investment, typically 15 years plus. Though the way energy prices are sky rocketing, that time will be cut down considerably. Now, I know we all want to go green to save the environment, and I’m serious here, but there are limits to what most of us can afford, and if we can save the environment more hassle, and save money as well, then that’s a bonus. Also, certainly concerning wind turbines, there is no reason why a DIY unit cannot look the business. Even DIY solar cells, with a lot of care, can look the part.

The way to get the best of both worlds is to have a DIY wind turbine, and DIY solar cells linked together. Solar cells work all the time in daylight, so they can take up the slack, when the wind takes a break.
I truly can foresee a future when everyone will live in renewable energy self sufficient houses, and not a distant future either. The way renewable energy is so much to the forefront nowadays, it should be on everybody’s mind. The more efficient, household renewable energy units get, the more people will want to go there, and in the end, it will be out of government control to save the environment, certainly as far as power generation goes. As usual, your average Joe will be the hero.

A question of maintenance, and something new.

On the question of wind turbine maintenance, which begs 2 questions; How often? and how easy.

Generally, wind turbines are very reliable, and can last for several years with minimal maintenance. If you have a DIY energy unit, parts should not be a problem, as they can be sourced easily locally. Ready built and installed wind turbines will obviously be more expensive to repair, and if it is an old unit, parts might not be so easy to obtain.

Again, for ease of maintenance, if you have a DIY turbine supplying you with renewable energy, you can build and install it with maintenance in mind. Also you won’t be wary of getting in there to fix any problems.

I will shortly be doing a review on a renewable energy DIY generator that has been getting a lot of publicity lately. It actually does sound too good to be true, but I have done some research, and although I have no technical data at the moment, all the articles I have read, are positive, and nowhere can I find that it is a scam. So, the proof being in the eating, I will give it a go and build one. I’ll give a blow by blow account of my endeavours as I progress.

DIY Solar Panel Review

I was was doing some research for future blog posts concerning Renewable DIY Energy, and I came accross the article below, which I thought you might be interested in reading, concerning DIY Solar Panels.

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Why Install Solar Panels in Your Home?

Everyday in the news it seems to be that we are confronted with more doom and gloom. If it isn’t about the state of the economy then it is about the global rise in fuel prices and the approaching energy crisis.

When all about us seems to be falling into disarray then I think the best course of action is to actually focus on what you can personally do and how you can guard against any future energy shortages of drastic rises in energy costs.

One way to do this it to seek out energy sources for your home that are both low in cost and a form of sustainable energy, which basically means that you are not taking anything from the planet and nor are you emitting anything that will cause harm going forward. One such form of energy is solar power, which is not only green, clean but also sustainable. As far as we can all hope the sun will remain on high up there and thus continue to meet our energy needs far into the future.

Solar panels also mean much lower power bills as the energy from the sun is converted into electricity, a very low cost way of both heating and lighting your home.

When it comes to installing solar panels initially the costs can be much higher, however one way of overcoming this is to go down the DIY route and build and install the panels yourself. At one time this would have been quite difficult however there are now a number of guides available as to how you can achieve installation both cheaply and easily. So if you want to install solar panels in your home the cheapest method is definitely the DIY route, one that will save you money and worry about energy shortages for years to come.
For further information on solar power and low cost installation head over to DIY Solar Panel Review.
http://www.diy-solar-panel-review.com/
Alison Wood

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alison_Wood

Welcome to My Renewable DIY Energy/Energy Consrvation Blog

Welcome to my blog, on Renewable DIY Energy and Energy conservation for the home, and in fact anywhere and any way, we can conserve energy.

I’m a great proponent of renewable energy and energy conservation. I read some years ago, ( Please don’t ask me to quote the source, but it was a very good article, also about how archaic our house building practices are in the UK.), that it would cost vey little extra to incorporate renewable energy devices into the build of a new house, enough to make it totally, power, self sufficient. Well, surprise, this has never happened, and why would it? Power company’s need to make a profit, people need jobs, this is the way our economy’s are, in a million and one ways. Our governments and conglomerates, for the sake of fast, huge profits, have gone a very long way down the road of making natural resource guzzling, air polluting energy. Instead of thinking, hang on a minute, if we use up our world, and choke it to death, where will we live? I’m not talking about houses here, we can all move house, but I think it’s going to be just a tad more difficult to move worlds. But never mind, the vast majority of us live very comfortable lives, thank you very much. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, but I am saying that we can live just as comfortable lives, but just not take so much.

But think, how comfortable would our lives be, if the conglomerates in power had thought about our planet, and thought about renewable resources. We may have largely self sufficient renewable energy using houses, and be driving around in nice, comfortable, quiet, fume free cars. It’s the stuff of fiction no more; it really has to be our future.

I realize that almost every gadget we buy is, in use, and in disposal, is bad for our environment, and I for one, don’t want to stop using my computer, or stop watching my television, or stop driving my car, but our lives largely demand their usage, although the television is debatable. However we can control some of these things by optimising usage, and conserving power.

Energy conservation is as important as producing our own green energy. In fact, the two go hand in hand. With the best will in the world, unless you are lucky enough to live on top of a hill, and have 24 hour wind, or live in a very hot climate, and put out massive arrays of solar panels, most DIY Energy systems have limited capacity, so power usage still has to be within their means, mostly due to the practical constraints of where most of us live, certainly here in the U.K. Regardless of whether or not we have DIY Energy in our home, the less load we put on the national grid, the better it will be for our environment, and for us.

Personally, I do most of my television watching, on my computer, so that is a power saving, albeit, a very small one. I’m also evaluating a very cheap fuel saving device fitted to my car, which does look very promising. Imagine if everyone could save 60 or 70 miles on a tank full of juice, what a difference that would make. I don’t use the car A/C, though admittedly, in the UK there is not much call for it. Also, every single bulb in our house is an energy saver. We have a huge amount of insulation in our attic, and our central heating is turned down to a comfortable minimum. Also, we leave nothing on standby, when our electronic equipment is not being used; it’s switched off at the mains. Not many people realise as well, that mobile phone chargers draw power all the time they are switched on, not just when they are charging the phone. The same applies for most household use transformers.

With the continuing and growing strain on the world’s natural resources, and, not to mention the rising cost of utility services, we all owe it to our world, and to our selves, to relieve some of this ever growing pressure, and explore, and utilise where practicable, DIY renewable energy, and also energy saving devices and practices.

Remember, if we look after our World, and Mother Nature, she will surely look after us.