I'm a software engineer (or "programmer" to my sister who actually has an engineering degree) and a technical writer with a long-time interest in Alternative Energy. I've been planning for quite some time to populate my now idle website with white papers, tutorials, FAQs, links and all manner of topics related to Alternate/Renewable/Home Energy as well as other topics.
I'd like to share my incomplete list here and ask you for your comments and suggestions. If/when I get anything useful up at my website, I'll be certain to include credits/references to people and websites that have contributed. Most of the items below have at least some work done on them, but only to 'rough draft' level.
Please feel free to post links to your favorites and your own web sites. You're also welcome to submit your own content, though I cannot pay you even a thin dime. Also feel free to tell me if you think I'm full of it.
Take heed, I am a Capricorn, from whence comes the term capricious. It sometimes takes a little outside influence to get me to complete something. So if you think this would be good content for an instructional website, please let me know and help be my "get it done" conscience.
Tutorials/white papers/FAQs:
Sources of Energy
What is Alternative/Renewable Energy?
What is Home Power Generation?
Economics: Energy Generation and Conservation
On the Commoditization of Renewable Energy
FAQ: Generating Energy at Home
FAQ: Basic Electronics
FAQ: Photovoltaic Systems
FAQ: Wind Systems
FAQ: Hydro Systems
Links (not complete by a long shot) in no particular order:
Home power generation magazine/website
http://www.homepower.com/
Electronic circuits for model trains
http://home.cogeco.ca/~rpaisley4/CircuitIndex.html#index
Forum for Renewable/Alternative Energy discussions
http://www.fieldlines.com
Web retailer of magnets, magnet wire and more
http://www.wondermagnet.com
Magnet manufacturer in Meeker, Oklahoma. Custom capabilities.
http://www.mwimagnets.com
Rare earth magnet importer
http://www.rare-earth-magnets.com/
Resistor value calculator for series LEDs
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Bill_Bowden/led.htm
Voltage divider calculator
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Bill_Bowden/r2.htm
Resistor value calculator for single LEDs
http://www.luxeonstar.com/resistor-calculator.php
Manufacturer of 1 to 10kW wind generators in Norman, Oklahoma
http://www.bergey.com
Wind maps for North America
http://rredc.nrel.gov/wind/pubs/atlas/maps/chap2/2-01m.html
Solar energy map for North America
http://rredc.nrel.gov/solar/old_data/nsrdb/redbook/atlas/
Find things on the web
http://www.google.com
Google tricks
http://www.ozzu.com/viewtopic.php?t=340
Indicator and display circuits for AE
http://www.acs.comcen.com.au/buildindics.html
Tutorial on diodes
http://www.kpsec.freeuk.com/components/diode.htm
tutorial on transistors
http://www.kpsec.freeuk.com/components/tran.htm
Good basic electronics site:
http://www.kpsec.freeuk.com/map.htm
Another good electronics tutorial site:
http://www.ffldusoe.edu/Faculty/Denenberg/Topics/Electronics/Ale
x_Pounds/
Homemade, homepower inverter with details
http://www.schmitzhouse.com/Johns_Electronics_02.htm
Lots of DIY guides for sale, cheap.
http://www.rainbowtradingpost.co.uk/guides1.html
sine inverter by RobD
http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2004/1/13/10591/9027
Over-wire current sensors 50A+
http://www.ampsense.com/
PCB mount current sensors, 50A+
http://www.allegromicro.com/sf/0750/
Retailer of interesting electronic stuff
http://www.allelectronics.com/
High efficiency, high power density motors:
http://www.thingap.com/advantage.htm#high
Solar PV and more retailer
http://www.sierrasolar.com/index.html
Circuits for pulse charging to desulphate lead-acid batteries
http://www.flex.com/~kalepa/lowpower.htm
DC-DC converter tutorial
http://www.maxim-ic.com/appnotes.cfm/appnote_number/710/ln/en
Wilderness survival kit advice
http://chuckr.freeshell.org/survkit.htm
Comparison of torroid and E-l transformer cores
http://www.tortech.com.au/article.html
