Backyard Fuel Cell

Going through the March 2007 issue of Wired Magazine I came across an article about Stephen Friend of Washington state who lives on an off-the-grid island in Puget Sound. Friend created a system that charges a home-made fuel cell via solar panels. With a price tag of $50,000 it's a bit out of most people's budgets, but I like how it shows that solar power can be a viable option even in the notoriously cloudy Pacific Northwest.

You can find the full article with a more detailed description on the Wired Magazine website. Also, check out FuelCellStore.com which is where Stephen got his parts for his home-baked power generator. My hope is that with the kind of exposure he'll get from the Wired Magazine article, someone will figure out a way to commercialize the product for significantly less money and make it a more viable option for people.

Solar/Wind-powered Clothes Dryer

Sometimes we don't see what is right in front of us. Doing chores around the house this weeked included doing a few loads of laundry. Rather than use an energy-intensive electric or gas clothes dryer, I've gotten into the habit of using a good old-fashioned solar- and wind-powered clothes dryer for 90%+ of my laundry - the clothes line. It occurred to me while hanging a load of laundy, that this simple device is in essence a solar and wind powered clothes dryer. Rather than focusing on high-tech energy alternative energy choices, maybe we need to look at some low-tech options as well. The good old-fashioned clothes line seems a perfect example.

Clothes dryers are one of the biggest energy users in the typical home, second behind the refrigerator. Estimated yearly operating costs for dryers vary widely, but a range of $50 - $100 is probably typical for most American households. Ok, maybe that's not that significant a cost for most people, but if you're looking for small ways to trim your energy footprint, consider the trusty old clothes line.