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How to Set Up a Small Solar (Photovoltaic) Power Generator

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How to Set Up a Small Solar (Photovoltaic) Power Generator

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El uso de paneles solares está muy desarrollado en Israel, por ejemplo.

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The goal of this article is to show how to set up a small solar power generator. While there are a lot of decisions you can make, this particular how to focuses on small-scale solar generation (<1kWh/day), and simplifies it so that just about anyone can set up a functioning system. However, beware that compromises in efficiency, safety, and code adherence may be made for the sake of simplicity.

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wikiHow is a "wiki," similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 18 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 309,101 times.

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How to Set Up a Small Solar (Photovoltaic) Power Generator

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The goal of this article is to show how to set up a small solar power generator. While there are a lot of decisions you can make, this particular how to focuses on small-scale solar generation ( Decide how much power you need. To do so,...

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Creating an eco-friendly home can start small, with just a few easy steps

Siempre me pareció interesante este tema, me gustó y me resultó ameno trabajarlo en el parcial.

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Green, sustainable, energy-efficient...there are so many ways to say "eco-friendly" that it can feel overwhelming to consider making some environmentally friendly changes. Creating an eco-friendly home can start small, with just a few easy steps. As you save money, you can move into bigger changes to save even more. You may be surprised to learn that saving the planet can also save your wallet!

Taking Small Eco-Friendly Steps

1. Find an energy calculator to assess your current energy usage. Many sites have calculators that will automatically tally up the energy efficiency of your house. It is also helpful if the site can also produce a graph or tally that can demonstrate what your house's potential could be after making some minor changes.

2. Slay "energy vampires." Most electronic devices and appliances draw energy when they're plugged in -- even if they're switched off. Most Americans own 25+ electronic devices. You can cut your energy consumption by unplugging your appliances and devices when they're not in use.[1]

You can also plug appliances and devices into power strips. Switching the strip off will prevent them from drawing power.

Set your computer to "sleep" or "hibernate" when you're not using it. You can pick up right where you left off when you come back, but your computer will use a lot less energy.

3. Compost your kitchen scraps. Many things we throw away on a daily basis can be composted instead. Coffee grounds, fruit and vegetable peels, eggshells, even napkins and paper towels can be recycled to produce compost, which is great for gardens.[6]

Keeping food scraps out of landfills is good for the environment! It keeps them from building up methane gas (which is a major part of global warming) as they decompose in plastic trash bags, and it helps reduce the amount of waste in landfills.

Even if you live in an urban area, you can keep a compost bin on a balcony or porch. Many online retailers sell ready-to-go compost kits.

Kathryn Kellogg is the founder of goingzerowaste.com, a lifestyle website dedicated to breaking eco-friendly living down into a simple step-by-step process with lots of positivity and love. She's the author of 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste and spokesperson for plastic-free living for National Geographic.

Kathryn Kellogg
Sustainability Specialist

Composting is one of the best ways that you can help the environment. On average, 60% of all of the waste thrown away in the household is organic matter that could be composted. That organic matter won't break down in a landfill, and it emits methane, which is a greenhouse gas that's 30 times more powerful than carbon. Luckily, composting is easy. You can even use a small tumble bin or an under-the-sink bokashi bin even if you don't have a lot of space at home.

4. Wash your laundry in cold water. 80-90% of the energy used when you run your washing machine comes from heating up the water for hot-water washes. Use the "cold water" or "eco" mode on your washing machine to save energy.[7]

Several companies, such as Tide, make eco-friendly cold water detergents. If your laundry has tough or frequent stains, these could be a good option to help your clothes get clean even in cold water.[8]

Look for natural detergents and stain removers, if you can. These are usually plant-based and biodegradable, making them much more eco-friendly.[9]

5. Turn off the tap. Most kids probably learn to brush their teeth while the water is running. Since dentists recommend that you brush your teeth for a full two minutes, that can add up to over 5 gallons of wasted water every time! Brush your teeth with the water off, and just turn on the tap to rinse.[10]

6. Run ceiling fans instead of the air conditioner. If you have ceiling fans, use them whenever possible to keep cool in the summer. Air conditioners can cost up to 36 times more to run than a ceiling fan. In the United States, air conditioning accounts for more than a quarter of the average home's electricity use.[11]

Making Your House Eco-Friendly

1. Replace old appliances. Your old appliances, such as water heaters, refrigerators, and stoves, could be wasting a lot of energy. Replacing them with Energy Star-qualified products will ensure that your home uses less energy.

There are often tax credits for replacing old, energy-inefficient products with new eco-friendly ones. The US Department of Energy has a full list of these credits here.

If you can't afford to replace your water heater, buy a specially designed insulating blanket and wrap it around the water heater. These blankets are available at most home improvement stores and take only a few minutes to install. This will help reduce wasted energy.

2. Repurpose furniture. Rather than buying new furniture, consider hitting up thrift shops and websites such as Craigslist and Freecycle. Recycling an old treasure rather than buying a new piece can save trees and your wallet.

3. Install motion-sensing lights. Motion-sensing lights are quite common outdoors, such as near garages or walkways. However, you can also install inexpensive motion sensors indoors. These will turn the lights on when you enter, and off when you leave a room. This could be very helpful if you have a hard time remembering to switch off the lights when you leave.

Building and Renovating for Eco-Friendly Homes

Use sustainable flooring. Hardwood floors add value and beauty to a home, but many of the trees used in hardwood flooring take years to grow. If your house is up for a new floor, consider using sustainable materials such as bamboo instead. Bamboo grows very quickly and takes less land to produce, but it's still attractive and durable.

Cork is another sustainable wood flooring option. Cork is softer than bamboo, so it absorbs noise and feels cushiony underfoot. It is sometimes less durable than bamboo.

Even little changes build up! Don't feel as though you have to renovate your entire house to start being more eco-friendly.

Do some research whenever you're looking into buying new, energy-efficient products. These are continually being improved, so look online for products with good reviews.

Support wikiHow's Educational Mission

Every day at wikiHow, we work hard to give you access to instructions and information that will help you live a better life, whether it's keeping you safer, healthier, or improving your well-being. Amid the current public health and economic crises, when the world is shifting dramatically and we are all learning and adapting to changes in daily life, people need wikiHow more than ever. Your support helps wikiHow to create more in-depth illustrated articles and videos and to share our trusted brand of instructional content with millions of people all over the world. Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today.

Sustainability Specialist

This article was co-authored by Kathryn Kellogg. Kathryn Kellogg is the founder of goingzerowaste.com, a lifestyle website dedicated to breaking eco-friendly living down into a simple step-by-step process with lots of positivity and love. She's the author of 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste and spokesperson for plastic-free living for National Geographic. This article has been viewed 298,249 times.

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 298,249 times.

"I'm 15 and I'm already planning my house. I want my house to be the greenest house on the block (even though I would like to have acres and acres of land). I grew up very eco-friendly already, but I would love to take it to an extreme with many of this article's ideas." ..." more

"Thank you for telling me about the skylight, it has helped a lot with saving energy instead of using powered lights! Again, a big thank you to the author of this page. I recommend you make more tips!" ..." more

"I am quite an eco-friendly person, and I wanted my house to be, too. This page helped me use less money and make my house feel better. Thanks!" ..." more

"I'm doing a project in school where you have to design an eco friendly house, and this really helped my research."

"Very good, helped me find some information I needed!"

"Helped with a science project."

"It helped me with my homework."

"It helped me a lot, thanks."

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Green, sustainable, energy-efficient...there are so many ways to say "eco-friendly" that it can feel overwhelming to consider making some environmentally friendly changes. Creating an eco-friendly home can start small, with just a few easy steps. As you save money, you can move into bigger changes to save even more.

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"The Great Spiral Galaxy" is one of the most distant objects that the unaided human eye can see

Muy interesante y útil, en especial para los apasionados por la astronomía (como yo).

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The Andromeda Galaxy, also known as Messier 31 or "the Great Spiral Galaxy" is one of the most distant objects that the unaided human eye can see. Use the constellations around the Andromeda Galaxy to help you pinpoint its location in the...

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You don’t have to go into outer space to experience zero-gravity flight

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Did you know that you don't actually have to go into outer space to experience zero-gravity flight? Scientists use a special kind of airplane flight, called a parabolic flight, to study what it's like to be weightless. When the plane flies in a steep curve, called a parabola, people and objects inside go into free-fall at the top of the curve and can float for about 30 seconds-just like astronauts in space! With just a bouncy ball, a bamboo skewer, a drinking straw, and a paper rocket ship, you can make your own launcher and send some imaginary astronauts on a parabolic flight.

Building the Launcher

1. Try different bouncy balls to find the one you like best. You'll have a couple of different bouncy balls to choose from, so try them out before you pick one. The ball will be like the engine for your rocket, so you want to choose one with plenty of bounce.

Make observations when you're bouncing the balls. Does one ball bounce higher than the other or stay in the air longer? Does the size or texture of the ball make a difference?

Watch the way the ball bounces, too. Does it make an arc (or parabola), or does it just bounce straight up and down?

2. Put on a pair of safety goggles to protect your face. When you drop your launcher, the straw is going to go flying. The launcher will probably bounce up, too! Put on some goggles to protect your eyes, just in case anything bounces into your face.

Make sure there's nothing else around that could be damaged, like fragile decorations that might get knocked over by the launcher.

Get any pets out of the room, too!

3. Drop the launcher to make the straw fly. Now it's time to test your launcher! Hold it so the stick and straw are upright, then drop it. When the ball hits the floor, the straw should go flying off.

Pay attention to how the straw flies. Does it go straight up and down, or does it fly in an arc (or parabola)?

Try dropping the ball in different ways to see what changes. For example, does it make a difference to drop it from different heights or on different kinds of surfaces?

Did you know? In a science experiment, a variable is anything that can change and possibly affect the results of the experiment. For example, you can control variables like how high up the launcher is before you drop it, or whether you throw the ball down or just let it fall. What are some variables in this experiment that you can't control?

Making a Carriage for the Astronauts

Cut out your ship with scissors. When you have the ship decorated the way you like, take some scissors and carefully cut it out. Take care not to snip off any details, like wings or tail fins.

Ask yourself: Why did you choose the shape you did? Do you think it will make a difference in how your rocket flies?

Testing Your Launcher

1. Did you know? During a zero-g flight, people and objects on the plane float for a few seconds at the top of the flight arc, or parabola. This phenomenon is called "free-fall." During free-fall, the plane and all the objects inside it are falling at the same rate, no matter how big or heavy they are!

2. Measure how high your rocket flies. Try launching your rocket again, but this time use a tape measure, ruler, or measuring stick to try and measure how high it gets at the top of its arc. Does it get at least 12 inches (30 cm) high before it falls?

It might help to have an assistant, like a parent, sibling, or friend, try to measure the top of the parabola when you launch the ship.

What do you think you could do to help the rocket go even higher?

3. Experiment with different sizes and shapes of rockets. Try designing some different ships to test out. For example, you might make a long, skinny ship and a short, wide one. Or, try making simple shapes (like ovals or triangles) and more complicated ones (like stars). Does the shape or size of your ship affect how the rocket flies? Which design works best?

Try moving your ship around to different parts of the straw, too. Does it fly better at the top, middle, or bottom of the straw?

Think about other things that might make a difference, like the length of the straw. How could you make it longer or shorter?

Find an area with plenty of space to test your launcher. Put away any fragile items that could get hit or knocked over, and keep any pets out of the room.

Things You'll Need

Bamboo skewer

Rubber bouncy balls

Paper drinking straw

Sheet of cardstock or heavy paper

Markers

Scissors

Tape

Measuring tape or ruler

Safety goggles

This article was co-authored by California Science Center. The California Science Center presents science learning for all ages through interactive exhibits, live demonstrations and exciting giant screen films. Its integrated approach includes an elementary school and education resource center, all in one location. This year's Virtual Hands-On Science Astroland and Adventureland Camp is in partnership with wikiHow. This article has been viewed 1,663 times.

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How to Make an Astronaut Launcher (Grades 3‐5)

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Did you know that you don't actually have to go into outer space to experience zero-gravity flight? Scientists use a special kind of airplane flight, called a parabolic flight, to study what it's like to be weightless. When the plane flies...

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Useful guide to grow your own fruits and vegetables

Estilo de vida autosustentable.

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For all of human history, people have managed to feed themselves, either by fishing, hunting, gathering, or subsistence farming. Nowadays, we can simply head to the grocery store to buy our meals. However, growing your own food is both rewarding and money-saving. If you'd like to grow your own food, make sure you research the climate in your region, create rows for your crops, and harvest when your food is ripe to enjoy the food from your garden.

Growing Food in Your Climate

1. Tip: Legumes do well in a temperate rainforest and are a great source of protein.

2. Plant fruit in the early spring in a moderate climate. Most fruit, like apples, oranges, lemons, and limes can be grown on trees in a 12,000 square feet (1,100 m ²) area. Start with planting a fruit tree in a pot to monitor the soil and water intake, and then transfer it to the ground after 1 year during the early spring. Most fruit trees will not start bearing fruit until they are 2 to 3 years old.

Vine fruits, like grapes, can be grown anywhere with a trellis that they can climb.

3. Let root vegetables mature during the fall. Potatoes, beets, radishes, and other vegetables that grow underground prefer to grow during the colder months. Plant root vegetables in July or August to prepare for a fall harvest. You can grow these even if the threat of frost is near, since they are hearty enough to withstand it.

Planting Crops

1. Make sure your soil pH is between 5.5 and 7.0. Test the pH of your soil by using a test probe or paper strips to determine the acidity or alkalinity of your soil. Most food grows at a pH of 5.5 and 7.0. If your soil is below 5.5, add dolomite, a type of crushed mineral, to make it more basic. If it is higher than 7.0, use pine needles or peat moss to make it more acidic.

You can find a test probe or strips at most garden stores.

You can buy dolomite at most garden stores.

2. Break the ground with a plow or a tiller. Clear away any large stones, roots and limbs, heavy accumulation of vegetation, and other debris before tilling. Use a rototiller or a plow to disrupt your soil and turn over the top layer. This will make the nutrients in your soil more readily available and allow the top layer of soil to refresh itself.

To sustain a 4-person family, use 12,000 square feet (1,100 m²) of land to grow vegetables and grains.

Tip: On a small plot of land, you can use a pick, shovel, and hoe to till your land instead.

3. Place your seeds in the furrows at the depth they require. The depth of planting may vary according to your choice of plants. Check on the back of your seed packet to find out the best depth for your plant. Make a small hole with your fingers and place 2 to 3 seeds in each hole.

Plants like legumes and melons, squash, cucumbers are planted between inch (1.9 cm) and 1 inch (2.5 cm) deep, and corn and potatoes may be planted 2.5 inches (6.4 cm) to 3.5 inches (8.9 cm) deep.

You can also start seeds indoors and transplant them after they have sprouted.

4. Cover the seeds in soil and gently pack down the dirt. This will prevent the seed bed from drying out in the sun. Use the palm of your hand to press down on top of the seeds you planted. Make sure they are covered all the way so they don't get eaten by animals. Continue this process until you have the number of rows you planned on planting.

Managing and Harvesting Your Crops

1. Weed your garden if it is getting overrun. Because you are planting this crop in rows, you will be able to walk the center area between rows. Remove any weeds by hand that sprout up during your growing season. Make sure you get the root of the weed when you pull it so that it doesn't grow back.

Weeds are much easier to pull in loose or wet soil.

Try not to disturb the roots of your crop as you weed.

2. Deter pests with fences and natural sprays. If you see leaves that have been eaten, it could be a sign of insects or vermin. Use a chicken-wire fence to keep out small animals like mice and rabbits. Remove and kill insects as you find them, or use a natural deterrent like peppermint oil to keep pests away.

Tip: Make a peppermint spray by combining 2 drops of peppermint essential oil and 1 gallon (3,800 mL) of water. Mist the leaves of your crops once a day to keep common insects away.

3. Harvest your crops when they are ripe. Many common garden vegetables are harvested as they become ripe, and continue to produce throughout the growing season with proper care. Grains, on the other hand, are most often harvested when they are fully ripened and dry on the plant. Use sharp, clean gardening tools to pick or cut your crops so you don't damage the plants.

4. Preserve your food if you can't eat it all. If you have grown grains, use barns which will keep your stored harvest dry and safe from insects and vermin. A combination of storage and preservation methods are the best way to reduce food waste. Drying, canning, freezing, and bedding are all viable options for storing food.

Bedding is a method for storing root crops such as potatoes, rutabagas, and beets. Lay your root crops in a dry, cool location on a straw bed.

Talk with your neighbors about sharing your crops once they are harvested. It is easier to manage a smaller number of different crops, and you may be able to grow enough of some of your selection of food for two families.

Look at outside sources of food to supplement your farming effort, like fishing, gathering wild berries and nuts, and edible plants growing wild in your region.

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Make sure you clean your gardening tools before each use in order to keep the food clean.

Support wikiHow's Educational Mission

Every day at wikiHow, we work hard to give you access to instructions and information that will help you live a better life, whether it's keeping you safer, healthier, or improving your well-being. Amid the current public health and economic crises, when the world is shifting dramatically and we are all learning and adapting to changes in daily life, people need wikiHow more than ever. Your support helps wikiHow to create more in-depth illustrated articles and videos and to share our trusted brand of instructional content with millions of people all over the world. Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today.

This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. This article has been viewed 492,310 times.

If you're interested in growing your own food, start by choosing the vegetables, fruits and grains that you wish to grow. Consider leafy greens like cabbage and lettuce, which provide a wide range of essential vitamins and minerals. Choose potatoes and beets for complex carbohydrates, as well as minerals. If you're looking for a grain that's easy to grow, try corn, which can be stored as whole cobs right after harvesting. For more information, including how to choose the right crops and varieties for you growing region, keep reading.

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 492,310 times.

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For all of human history, people have managed to feed themselves, either by fishing, hunting, gathering, or subsistence farming. Nowadays, we can simply head to the grocery store to buy our meals. However, growing your own food is both rewarding and money-saving.

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"La comprensión de textos. Modelo de procesamiento y estrategias de mejora" de Emilio García García y "El problema de los géneros discursivos" de Mijaíl Bajtín.

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"La clasificación de los textos técnicos en la traducción técnica escrita"

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"La clasificación de los textos técnicos en la traducción técnica escrita"

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La imagen que se ve a continuación representa un "manual de instrucciones especializado". Corresponde al género exhortativo con un tipo de receptor especializado.