Free eBooks, articles, and info…

Straw Bale House Burned by Lightning Storm, No Insurance

Back in the mid-1990’s we built a straw bale house near Dwight, Nebraska. Today (June 19, 2022) I found out that it burned due to a huge storm that passed through the county, causing a lightning strike directly on the house, blowing out the east wall. Fire caught inside the house, burning it.

Before […]

Share this:

80/20 Rule for Energy and Homes

What is the 80/20 rule?

Also called the pareto principle in economics, it states that about 20% of the causes produce about 80% of the effects.

This rule has been altered and used by many to include real estate investing, marketing, and a host of other areas to produce a loose formula that has made […]

Share this:

Build a $100K house for ten thousand dollars

Here is how you can build a $100K house for about $10,000 that will save you 90% in energy costs for the lifetime of the home.

$100,000 – Typical cost to build a 1,200 sq ft conventional house (by a building contractor)

– $60,000 – savings because 2/3 the cost of building a house is […]

Share this:

How to Stop Paying Your Energy Bill and Reduce Consumerism

NOTE: Free ebook offer below. Take, take, take. Use, use, use. Gimme, gimme, gimme. More, more, more. Consume, consume, consume! Consumerism is a serious issue, but I think in terms of energy is where it counts the most. Energy not only to produce goods that ultimately wind up as trash/waste, but also energy to run […]

Share this:

Which is Superior—Passive Solar, Hybrid Systems, or Active Solar?

The paper below is something I researched and wrote about at age 19 in college, and although we have made great strides in technology since then, I am amazed at how relevant the information still is in 2015, some 25 years later (boy am I starting to feel old, haha). However, I definitely have a […]

Share this:

Solar Water Distillers – Kits and Plans

solar still

I have built and sold and installed solar water distillers for years. It is a wonderful feeling to build something that can take contaminated or polluted water and turn it into absolutely pure and drinkable, fresh water!

So what is a solar water distiller?

First of all you want to understand how a solar water […]

Share this: