Sustainable Living Stack Exchange
Sustainable Living Stack Exchange

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Would a root cellar benefit from an active ventilation system activated by temperature or humidity?

We are designing a root cellar for a landscape client, and have read the literature on passive venting. We're going to use a solar panel/battery setup to power a small light inside, but were wondering if it might also be good to add a fan to the…
That Idiot
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Energy storage idea: Pumped hydroelectric storage in ocean using difference in salt content

Note: Updated the calculation, found an error. With that, the concept isn't economically viable any more. I wanted to share a concept for a possible cheap large scale energy storage concept that has been at the back of my head for quite some time. I…
t.f.b
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What is an efficient Atmospheric Water Generator?

I would like to build or purchase an Atmospheric Water Generator, using as simple and energy efficient technology. There seems to be various models available out there. Could you help cataloging the various models and assessing their efficiency?
neydroydrec
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Can a household's organic waste alone produce enough methane for its own space heating?

If a household puts all its organic waste, from both the kitchen and the bathroom, into a biodigester, will it produce enough methane for the household's space heating in a low -25 °C to high -15 °C climate? References to some real experiments are…
George Chen
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How much temperature reduction will I get from a green grass-covered roof?

I want to put a green roof on my top floor by using a plastic caret, adding a 4" layer of soil and planting grass. I want to cover the whole roof with this. Will it help to reduce the heat gain from my original roof and will it help to reduce the…
ahmed zia
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Does it make sense to save water in cities?

I heard that if citizens don't use enough water, the infrastructure (tubes etc.) takes damage. In order to keep the tubes clean, government agencies flood them with huge amounts of water. Thereby "wasting" the water you tried to save.
Dominik
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What are alternatives for deodorant?

There must be natural alternatives for deodorant that at least to some degree help in covering body odor caused by perspiration. I have tried to live without antiperspirant, but I don't consider it feasible even when showering more often than once a…
user3719
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Boosting radiator convection with fans

I found an article online from somebody who built a rig consisting of a number of pc fans mounted under a radiator, blowing upwards. A temperature sensor ensured the fans would kick in as soon as the radiator reached 30 degrees Celsius or higher.…
Bas
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Is it environmentally sensible to clean a paint roller?

I'm currently decorating a room and conscious of how much water it's taking to clean the paint out of a paint roller. At what point does the environmental cost of cleaning exceed the environmental cost of binning it and using a new one? Details: …
Cheeseminer
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What's the most sustainable way to re-use or dispose of meat scraps?

Given that you shouldn't put leftovers of meals that has touched meat in compost bins due to the risk of attracting vermin, what is the most sustainable way to deal with these scraps?
HowdyP
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How much land can a full-time organic farmer take care of?

Is there an estimate of how many acres or hectares a single person can take care of, approximately? I'm mainly interested when following organic standards for cultivating common vegetables (tomatoes, lettuce, cauliflower, carrots, etc.) Let's forget…
lferran
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What are the carbon emissions from the manufacture of the hybrid components of a Prius?

For simplicity, I will assume that the manufacture of a Prius is essentially the same process as that of a non-hybrid ICE, plus the extra environmental impact required for the hybrid components (battery, electric motor). Can anyone tell me the…
susie derkins
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Best course of study for learning to build electrical systems and supporting electronics for an off grid power station

I'm working on constructing a totally self sufficient (i.e. totally off grid) building in the wild. I do not want to restrict myself to any particular source of power (hydro, solar, wind etc), but I want to build up my knowledge of electrical power…
Homunculus Reticulli
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Calculating wheel and motor size for run-of-river hydroelectric generator

I am a student designing a hydro electric generator used on rivers to collect kinetic energy from horizontal water flow, rather than potential energy from vertical water drops. My idea is to turn a large wheel using the water flow, this is connected…
Aztec warrior
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Do higher electricity prices cause people to use less?

Demand for gas is elastic... I've read that cars in Europe are, on average, more efficient than cars in the US due to significantly higher taxes on gasoline. ...but not for electricity? In the context of electricity, however, I have heard that…
LShaver
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