Project Lab
Hands-on, physics-based off-grid energy experiments: micro-hydro basics, human-powered generation, and how to pair experiments with solar batteries safely.
Experiment & system integration
A realistic DIY bicycle generator guide: expected wattage, safe charging architecture, build styles, sizing examples, limitations, and how to pair pedal power with solar + batteries.
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A practical DIY guide to buck, boost, and buck-boost regulation for variable DIY generators: why generator voltage varies, how to match voltage to batteries safely, constant-current vs constant-voltage concepts, fusing and wire sizing, common mistakes, and how regulation fits into a solar + experimental hybrid system.
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A realistic DIY car alternator generator guide: how alternators work, why low RPM disappoints, pulley ratios, safe wiring and protection, realistic watts, and how to use an alternator as a supplemental charger in an off-grid solar battery system.
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A practical DIY compressed air energy storage (CAES) guide: how it works, realistic energy density, simple calculations, safe experiment setups, expected efficiency, common mistakes, safety hazards, and how CAES pairs with solar.
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A practical DIY diversion (dump load) guide for wind and hydro experiments: why batteries need protection when full, how diversion control works, sizing a dump load, safe wiring with fuses and disconnects, heat management, common mistakes, and how diversion fits into a multi-source solar battery system.
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A realistic DIY flywheel energy storage guide: how flywheels store energy, safe low-speed build paths, simple calculations, expected output, common mistakes, safety limits, and how flywheels pair with solar + batteries.
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Build a reusable DIY generator test bench: measure watts and watt-hours, load test vs open-circuit voltage, use adjustable loads, wire safely, and compare Wh/day to solar output for hybrid off-grid planning.
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A practical DIY hand-crank generator guide: realistic wattage expectations, safe charging architecture, rectifiers and regulators, build options, wiring protection, common mistakes, safety, and how to pair hand power with solar + batteries.
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A practical, physics-based run-of-river micro-hydro guide: head vs flow sizing, real example watts, core components, a DIY build checklist, common mistakes, safety, and how to pair with solar + batteries.
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Build a safe DIY Pelton-style pico hydro turbine for learning and trickle charging: nozzle sizing, spoon-bucket runner concepts, realistic power math from head + flow, wiring protection, and how to pair hydro experiments with solar batteries.
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A practical DIY Savonius (vertical-axis) wind turbine guide: simple rotor builds, tower and safety basics, realistic watts and Wh/day estimates, wiring protection, common mistakes, and how to pair VAWT experiments with solar + batteries.
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A practical, physics-based guide to small wind battery charging: siting and tower height, realistic output vs rated watts, rectification, diversion (dump loads) and charge control, wiring protection, safety, and how wind pairs with solar.
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A realistic DIY Stirling engine generator guide: thermodynamics basics, Carnot efficiency limits, realistic power output, heat sources, and where it fits as a supplemental off-grid solar experiment.
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A realistic DIY supercapacitor bank guide for off-grid solar experiments: what supercaps are good for (and not), basic energy math, series balancing, inrush limiting, fusing, safe wiring, and practical ways to use supercaps as a buffer alongside batteries.
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A realistic DIY thermoelectric generator guide: Seebeck basics, temperature requirements, realistic wattage, module selection, boost converter wiring, and safe battery charging as a supplemental off-grid solar backup.
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A practical DIY water wheel generator guide for low-head streams: how water wheels differ from micro-hydro turbines, simple sizing math, realistic watts and watt-hours, build options, common mistakes, safety/legal limits, and how to pair with solar + batteries.
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A realistic DIY gravity battery guide: potential energy physics (mgh), energy density vs chemical batteries, pulley builds, safety, and when it can supplement solar storage as an educational experiment.
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A realistic guide to hybrid off-grid charging: combining solar + wind + hydro safely, controller selection per source, parallel charging architecture, dump load wiring, voltage regulation, and protection strategy.
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A practical guide to using a treadmill DC motor as a generator: how voltage depends on RPM, safe rectification and regulation, build plans for pedal/wind/water experiments, realistic wattage expectations, wiring protection, common mistakes, safety, and how to pair with solar.
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