Flores Permaculture

The foundation has set and now Phase II begins.  Phase II involves building the  concrete columns that will support the solar panels and rotating axis. The north column stands nearly three meters tall, so a pedestal is required to strengthen the structure and minimize bend or cracks. Also do to intense winter wind loads and the fact the uppermost solar panel will stand four meters above ground level, it is crucial that the structure cannot topple and land on our roof.  This iron reinforced bench will add 1700 kilograms of weight as a counter force. I decided to us natural stone as a functional form, rather than wood or blocks.   The bench should seat four people, one at each of the cardinal directions.  This will be ideal for watching the sun rise from the ocean. It takes a little more time to select and align the field stones, but I want this to be Art as well as Engineering. The bench is nearly at the final height and ready fo...

Our off-grid home is powered by a Hydro-Turbine.  In the winter months we get more than 500 watts of output non-stop.  During the late summer months we start to get less rainfall and therefor we get less wattage.  As global warming shifts our system of winds and ocean currents, we anticipate drier summers.  As a result we are adding an additional 1,000 watts of power to our  system.  In the winter we will have more hot water and heating during the day and we will maintain our current standard of living in the summer when the rains stop and the sun beams down. The tracker is designed to maximize yearly output of solar power by following the sun's path from East to West daily at  a constant 23 degree angle. The first stage of the project is to accrue all the building materials and get them to the site.  Not a simple task without a 4 wheel drive truck. All the sand and gravel must be bagged up and then hand carried to the top of th...