Solar
Flat Roof Solar Calculator: Panel Layout & Energy Output
Estimate flat-roof solar layouts and energy output using roof dimensions, local sunlight and current or speculative efficiencies.
Offgrid
DIY
Off-Grid Septic Systems in Klamath County, Oregon: Site Evaluation, Branch Selection, and Owner-Installed Cost
The soil picks the system, not the budget. A regulatory-first path from test pit to permitted drainfield on volcanic upland ground.
Sustainability
Off-Grid Solar Homesteading Costs in 2026: System Economics, Battery Chemistry, and Risk Across 3, 6, and 12-Person Households
Off-grid solar costs at three household scales, with DIY versus professional pathways, LFP versus lead-acid economics, and a full risk analysis.
DIY
Off-Grid ESP32 Flood-Stage Sensor: Cutting Standby From 20 mA to Under 100 µA on a $70 Solar Node
Full open-hardware build: ultrasonic stage sensing, LiFePO4 pack, and the dev-board parasitic draw that wastes 89% of a node's daily energy.
DIY
Century-Lifespan Consumer Products: What Reliability Physics, Aviation Precedent, and Repair Law Say About 100-Year Electronics
No consumer electronic has lasted a century. Reliability physics, aviation PMA precedent, and EU repair law define what 100-year design needs.
Sustainability
Wildfire Technology Investment in 2026: Why Detection and Prevention Lead, and Suppression Lags
Detection and prevention lead wildfire tech investment, from FireSat to Pano AI. Suppression autonomy still lags. A 2026 investor's guide.
DIY
Free Open Source Compact Car (FOSCC): Build a Street-Legal DIY Car From Salvage Parts for Under $10,000
Open-hardware plans for a street-legal DIY compact car: salvaged 4-cylinder powertrain on a builder-welded steel frame for under $10,000.
Technoagriculture
Bioshelters in 2026: Passive-Solar Food Production Proven at Scale in China, Unproven in the West
Bioshelters promise year-round food at minimal energy. In 2026, passive solar scales to 810,000 ha in China but stays unproven in the West.
Philosophy
Output Concentration Risk: Why High-Performing Systems Become Fragile
A system is not truly diversified if one crop, supplier, product, technology, or sector generates most of its output.
Engineering
Helical Piles and Screw Foundations: Capacity, Corrosion, and Cost
Helical piles, ground screws, and adjustable piers: load transfer, torque-to-capacity, corrosion, and cost against concrete.
Energy
Plastoline and Microwave Pyrolysis: Assessing Julian Brown's Plastic-to-Fuel Claims Against the Peer-Reviewed Science
Separating the peer-reviewed science of microwave pyrolysis from the unverified 110-octane, carbon-negative claims behind Plastoline fuel.
Batteries
What Is the Voltaic Pile? How the First Chemical Battery Worked
Learn how Alessandro Volta’s voltaic pile worked, how it was built, and why it became the first practical chemical battery.