Articles by Jim Bruce

How Many Solar Panels Do I Need To Power A Refrigerator? How Many Solar Panels Do I Need To Power A Refrigerator?
Refrigerators run over a 24 hour period, so any calculation of the power needed should reflect solar panel output over 24 hours and energy storage for the periods when the sun doesn’t shine. An average fridge of 500 watts needs 2...
Jim Bruce Jim Bruce October 17, 2022
How big of a wind turbine do you need to power a house? How big of a wind turbine do you need to power a house?
How do you size a wind turbine for your home? If you intend to use a wind turbine to power a house, most mid-sized homes can work well with a 10kW-20kW system. However, some homes could require up to a 100kW wind turbine. It depen...
Jim Bruce Jim Bruce October 17, 2022
How Does Solar Water Purifier Work? How Does Solar Water Purifier Work?
How does solar water purification work? A solar water purifier can work in two ways: Nullify biological contaminants directly by ultraviolet light Evaporate and distill water by heat energy, leaving contaminants behind Water is...
Jim Bruce Jim Bruce October 17, 2022
How Is Geothermal Energy Harnessed? - Geothermal Energy Extraction How Is Geothermal Energy Harnessed? - Geothermal Energy Extraction
Geothermal energy is harnessed using 3 types of conversion plants How  Geothermal energy is harnessed As the world attempts to shift to non-fossil-based energy sources, more and more companies look at geothermal energy and how to...
Jim Bruce Jim Bruce October 17, 2022
Cost of Geothermal Energy Compared to Fossil Fuels Cost of Geothermal Energy Compared to Fossil Fuels
How much does geothermal energy cost? Is geothermal energy cheaper than other sources? As a general rule, the cost of geothermal energy compares favorably with fossil fuel energy over the longer term. In the past few years, there...
Jim Bruce Jim Bruce October 17, 2022
Can A Solar Panel Overcharge A Battery? 12v Battery Charging Can A Solar Panel Overcharge A Battery? 12v Battery Charging
Such a solar panel connected to a battery in bright sunlight will charge the battery and keep on charging it over and above normal recommended voltages. It would definitely damage the battery internally. It's important to use a suitable solar charger.
Jim Bruce Jim Bruce October 17, 2022
Why Is Geothermal Energy Not Used More Often? Why Is Geothermal Energy Not Used More Often?
Geothermal is efficient, so why isn’t it used as much as other forms of heating? Geothermal energy is often touted as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. However, it still makes up only a small fraction of total energy sour...
Jim Bruce Jim Bruce October 14, 2022
When Do Solar Panels Work Best? When Do Solar Panels Work Best?
Solar panel output winter vs summer As a general rule solar panels work best in full sunshine when there is maximum insolation, which is the amount of solar radiation hitting a horizontal surface. Standard practice is to assume 10...
Jim Bruce Jim Bruce October 14, 2022
Are Lithium Batteries Better Than Lead-Acid? Are Lithium Batteries Better Than Lead-Acid?
As a general rule lithium batteries are better than lead-acid batteries in several ways: They have a higher energy density They are lighter Much longer life (several thousand discharge cycles possible) More stable voltage over...
Jim Bruce Jim Bruce October 14, 2022
How Many Solar Panels Does It Take To Charge An Electric Car? How Many Solar Panels Does It Take To Charge An Electric Car?
How Many Solar Panels To Charge An Electric Car? Over the past few years there has been a massive increase in the demand and usage of electric vehicles (EV) due to their increasingly high mileage range and minimum impact on the en...
Jim Bruce Jim Bruce October 14, 2022
Can I Put a Solar Panel on my Car Roof? Can I Put a Solar Panel on my Car Roof?
Solar panels are predicted to be the future of cars in many diverse ways. The advantage of solar powered cars is obvious – they use renewable source of energy and therefore we get to conserve our environment and also save money fo...
Jim Bruce Jim Bruce October 14, 2022
Inflatable Boat With Trolling Motor Battery | DIY Kayak Mods Inflatable Boat With Trolling Motor Battery | DIY Kayak Mods
Inflatable boat – electric trolling motor battery Inflatable boats have become hugely popular in the past year or two and they are very well suited for an electric motor, such as a trolling motor normally used for fishing. When mo...
Jim Bruce Jim Bruce October 14, 2022