As far as electric vehicles go, electric bicycles are famously energy-efficient. Most can easily travel 100 miles (160 km) on around $1 of electricity. But what if instead of paying for that ...

DIY solar power projects have always been fascinating to me. I kind of wrote the book on the subject. And since electric bikes have always been a huge part of my life, combining the two has always ...

Solar design in contemporary architecture is rooted in the profession's sustainable turn. The relationship between architecture and energy is tied to both passive strategies and performance via more ...

[Michael Mogenson] built Firefly Jar – a simple circuit to light up flickering LEDs inside a standard Mason Jar, to give away to friends and family for the holidays. Given it’s simplicity and ...

Dear Jim: We have teenage daughters who take long showers. Our water heating costs are sky-high. We are on a tight budget, but want to use some solar water heating. Is there a system we can make ...

A solar day lamp is a simple, inexpensive device for bringing “daylight” to dark interior spaces whenever the sun is shining. This article provides complete instructions for designing lamps using both ...

Design a year-round solar greenhouse that is entirely self-sufficient, relying only on the sun to provide all of its heating needs while growing more than traditional greenhouses and using less energy ...

Since ancient times, people have found ways to use the sun’s heat to stay warm or keep cool. They built homes from clay and other materials that hold heat well, and they placed them in ways that ...