“DIY Solar Water Heater. A Homemade “flat panel” COPPER COIL Solar Water Heater. Easy DIY. Full Instructions. Super hot temps (sustained at 165F+). Fast hot water. No electricity needed. Easily hooks up to standard water tap/garden hose. Reaches temps well over 150F (water pasteurization temp) so it works to clear/kill any pathogens (if a non-municipal source is used). It’s super portable so it’s good for camping/off-grid/emergency as well as everyday use.
simple
ICA Nepal Earthbag House
“Our Earthbag home is ready!! Woohoo!! 18 days of hard labour work and countless amount of dedication by our entire team of volunteers made this possible… Thank you everyone who supported us through thick and thin and in every way possible!”
The Mlambe Earthbag Project
“Dear Owen, I thought I would drop you an email and just let you know our earthbag building in Malawi went very well! I believe it is the only development of its kind in the country. There is a summary of activities at The Mlambe Project website with photos. I am very grateful to you and the website. If there is anything I can do as a thank you- please just ask.”
Jamie
Natural building: a water-resistant earthen floor
“Natural building expert Michael G. Smith from the Emerald Earth Institute shows us the first layer of an earthen floor (clay soil, sand, chopped straw and road base, or crushed rock): just one layer of the 3 layers they eventually use. He also shows us a finished floor that has been treated with 4 to 6 coats of linseed oil and is water resistant and completely mop friendly.”
Solar System for a Small Log Cabin
PV systems can be very simple. This is about as simple and low cost as it gets. (That’s why I like it.)
“A full description of a low cost solar powered 12 volt LED lighting system at a back-country cabin.”
Plumbing and Electrical Pocket Guides
You can buy small booklets or ‘pocket guides’ from building supply centers that show the main steps of construction. Besides being compact and low cost, the nice thing about these pocket guides is they only show want you really need. Many homeowners don’t need a full length book on these subjects. They just need to know the basics. Pocket guides (the lowest cost versions) have simple black and white line drawings of each main step. For instance, pocket guides illustrate how to wire an outlet or a switch.