off-grid

Off-Grid AC: 9 Forgotten Ways The Ancient Romans (And Everyone Else) Stayed Cool

Artist: Thomas Cole

There’s an old joke about college students hanging ice cubes in front of a fan to stay cool. It’s no joke – and it’s not new. Ancient Egyptians would hang wet palm fronds in the window so that passing breezes would be cooled by the moisture. In ancient India, reed mats soaked in water were hung in front of doorways to achieve the same effect.

The simple fact is that we have an average body temperature of 98.6 degrees, and any time the temperature exceeds that, we feel significant discomfort. To make matters worse, moisture creates a heat index that can make 80 degrees feel like 100 degrees. It’s curious that most of us find it easier to stay warm with a fire or other heating sources, but struggle to keep cool.

Some of the best methods were developed by ancient cultures living in hot, desert conditions. That’s no surprise. Necessity is the mother or invention. In fact, we might want to keep some of these concepts in mind as an energy conversation strategy — if not preparation for a day when the grid goes down.

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Here’s the rundown and many ancient cultures combined these methods to keep cool when the weather outside was hot, hot, hot.

1. Wind towers

Wind tower

Wind towers are still prominent in the Middle East and other arid countries, where they were first used 2,000 years ago. Wind towers capture prevailing winds with internal vanes that work to not only force cooler air down, but would circulate to draw hot air up and out. Some wind towers collected rain water and used the evaporation of the water to further cool the captured air.

2. Water cooling

If you’ve ever walked into a valley next to a cold water spring on a hot summer day, then you’ve noticed the cooling effect that water has on the surrounding air. The same is true of towns and villages located next to large lakes, as prevailing winds passing over the water surface are naturally cooled. Many cities on the great lakes, from Chicago to Buffalo, are a good example.

The Romans used water from aqueducts to cool their homes by having the cold water run through channels in the walls of their houses and temples on its way to public fountains and baths. Cold water running through a course of pipes and exposed to the air in an environment also has a cooling affect.

3. Underground and in-ground structures

It’s obvious anytime you walk down into your basement on a hot summer day: The ground has a natural cooling affect. Conversely, an underground or in-ground home also stays warmer in the winter as the ground radiates more warmth than the air above it.

The ancient Anasazi Indians in Arizona and New Mexico built their homes and villages in the side of cliffs to not only shade their homes from the sun, but to take advantage of the natural cooling offered by the rocky, cliff face. Today, many homes are built underground or into the side of hills to capture this natural cooling and shading. In a pinch, you could always spend some time in the basement when the weather gets hot, or maybe it’s time to think about that underground house.

One of the most common occurrences of an underground shelter is a root cellar. Once again, the natural cooling of the ground served to offer an early form of refrigeration and preservation for root vegetables and other foods.

It’s no surprise that many ancient people lived in caves and grottos, not only for the protection from rain and snow, but for the same effect of cooling and heating relative to the ambient temperature outside.

4. Fans

The ancient Chinese get the credit for the invention of the first fans. The Persians had their variation, as well. The Persian version was simply a rug suspended from the ceiling that was pulled back and forth to create a breeze. It was fairly effective unless you were the guy who had to pull the rope to swing the rug.

The Chinese actually invented the idea of a bladed fan that swung from a central pivot. It was powered by a spring drive, and there were often multiple fans in the ceiling arranged in such a way that a directed breeze would be carried through the environment. Some of the more complex fan arrangements were powered by water-wheels.

5. Intelligent venting

The Navajo Indians in the Southwest desert cut trenches in the ground, covered with hides and soil, that led to the floor in the base of their hogans or mud huts. Toward the ceiling facing downwind of prevailing breezes, they cut vents. This created a natural draft that drew cooler air from the ground through a small vent of loose stones at one end of the trench, and into structure. Water, when there was a surplus, was sometimes poured into the trench to use the cooling effect of evaporation, to not only chill the air a bit more, but to provide natural humidity in the very dry environment of the desert.

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The concept of intelligent venting is to either create cross-ventilation from prevailing winds, or to allow the thermodynamics of air to rise as it heats to create a ventilating draft. Many ancient structures had high ceilings and vents in the roof to facilitate this drafting principle. It’s an idea that is incorporated into almost every home built today.

6. Mud huts

Mud hut

You might not see a lot of mud huts in Architectural Digest, but across the African deserts they provided a natural cooling for their occupants. The dried mud was actually a coarse form of brick, and it would absorb the chill of the night and slowly release it during the day.

Today, there is an eco-friendly building system that features rammed-earth as the primary building material for the walls of structure. This has been shown to have the same characteristics of the mud hut concept.

7. Raised structures

Primitive homes on stilts are common in many areas where there is frequent flooding. However, some homes were built on stilts in very dry and hot areas to allow prevailing winds to pass both over and under the structure. This enhanced the cooling effect of the winds as they carried heat away from the entire home.

8. As above so below

In ancient India, many large homes and palaces were built over water, either natural or manmade, and featured roof-top gardens. The evaporation of the water under the structure cooled the entire building, and the moisture in the soil from the gardens above prevented the heat from radiating into the structure from the roof.

The ancient Indians, Greeks and Chinese also appreciated the importance of color, and many of their rooftops and buildings were white. White reflects sunlight, while darker colors absorb it and create higher temperatures within the building or structure.

9. Synergy

While all of these ideas and techniques were effective, the most significant insight about ancient air conditioning is the way that they added these approaches to a structure to create a cumulative benefit. For example, a white structure made of brick built into a cliff side with a northern exposure, a roof top garden and vents in the roof, drawing air from a pit or channel in the ground. Wow, sounds like a good idea. It is — and it describes many of the towns and villages of ancient Greece.

It’s unlikely that any of us will be redirecting a spring or a creek under our homes to help with cooling, but decisions about venting, roof and structure colors, the installation of fans and even a bit more quality time in the basement can all add up to reduce the cost of air conditioning and give us some ideas about how to stay cool.

What tips would you add to our list? Share your ideas in the section below:

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This Article Was Originally Posted On offthegridnews.com Read the Original Article here

Self Sufficiency

NYC Adds Nearly 4,000 People Who Never Tested Positive To Coronavirus Death Tolls

New York City added nearly 4,000 people who never tested positive for the coronavirus to its death toll Tuesday, bringing coronavirus-related deaths in the city to around 10,000 people.

The city decided to add 3,700 people to its death tolls, who they “presumed” to have died from the virus, according to a report from The New York Times. The additions increased the death toll in the U.S. by 17%, according to the Times report, and included people who were suffering from symptoms of the virus, such as intense coughing and a fever.

The report stated that Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio decided over the weekend to change the way the city is counting deaths.

“In the heat of battle, our primary focus has been on saving lives,” de Blasio press secretary Freddi Goldstein told the Times.“As soon as the issue was raised, the mayor immediately moved to release the data.”

The post New York City added nearly 4,000 people who never tested positive for the coronavirus to its death toll appeared first on Daily Caller

This Article Was Originally Posted On dailycaller.com Read the Original Article here

off-grid

The Ultimate Energizer Review – Does It Really Work?

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This brings us to the review of the ultimate energizer guide. This is a program that provides users with classified information on how to build a free energy generator. But can the program really make you achieve this?

does it work? will it be worth your investment, time and energy? all these questions and more are what this review on the ultimate energizer program seeks to help you find answers to.

The ultimate energizer review – is it worth it?

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About The Ultimate Energizer guide

The ultimate energizer is your ultimate guide to building your own alternative and portable energy source to power up any of your household appliances including refrigerators and aircon units. It is a very affordable way to having an emergency generator that can help you save more than 50% from your electricity bills without spending too much on other alternative energy source like solar panels or wind turbines which is costly and will also need a lot of space.

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About The Ultimate Energizer Creator

The creator of the complete the ultimate energizer guide is steven perkins. He found the journal of the founder of this technology in his home when his father shifted near quebec city in canada.

In this post, we will review the ultimate energizer whose creator claimed to offer a way through which you can generate non-stop current. According to the author, you can drop down your electricity bills by 80%.

Of course the ultimate energizer owners provide resources. But the truth is that you are a master creator. All of them have that talent in us. The only difference is the extent to which it is hidden in each of us.

Features of The Ultimate Energizer

The features of the ultimate energizer guide are as follows:-. This program guide will help you to design a the ultimate energizer generator which will follow the rules of linear induction motor which is built around a track that is orbicular to maintain the smooth motion of rotors that are transportable.

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Use it on any electrical appliances from small clocks to big plasma tv screens, refrigerators, and air conditioners. Power the cabins while hiking to the mountains or camping. Other essential features of this complete the ultimate energizer are that it is easy to assemble and does not require a technical background to master engineering.

Pros and Cons of The Ultimate Energizer

I’ve created this honest ultimate energizer review to help you make a well-informed decision. I’ve tested it myself and now i’m going to share with you all the key aspects you may be interested in: how does it work? is it really so powerful and effective? what are its pros and cons?.

It is non-polluting. It remains popular the ultimate energizer guide pros & cons because it is both a renewable and clean source of energy. Harnessing solar energy is more than a fine idea it’s currently a reality in thousands of homes in a lot of nations around the world.

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On the review of the ultimate energizer guide, we will be looking into what exactly the program is all about, the details of the energy generator program, the benefits, pros & cons and our conclusion on the program.

Does The Ultimate Energizer really work?

The device is usable during emergencies. It works without fuels and therefore there are no expected fumes. It is weather proof. Cons of the ultimate energizer. You can only download the program from the official website.

But the ultimate energizer reviews that are available from real users online on platforms like google and youtube seem to confirm that the device does indeed work. So, as per my ultimate energizer review answer to the question is the ultimate energizer legit? is definitely yes.

The ultimate energizer guide. The ultimate energizer is said to work for your home and cut electricity by 82%, guaranteed by tomorrow. The ultimate energizer reviews. It can boost any type of electricity by as much as 5 times.

Advantages of The Ultimate Energizer Program

The program can benefit you in many ways. Below we are listing the advantages of using the ultimate energizer program for generating electricity:. This device will help you save up to 60%-70%, without investing money in solar panels which can cost you a lot of money.

There are additional the ultimate energizer guide program advantages too, including advantages at tax time, so do your homework on what you might have for being a solar power pioneer contributed back.

Why The Ultimate Energizer is Useful?

The ultimate energizer is a complete guide and blueprint. With it, you get everything you need to know to build your own free energy generator. This generator can be completed for less than $50 if you have some tools already. But i remember reading another review of the ultimate energizer, and the guy said he took days. Maybe he was crafty. Then, you assemble it and get it to work.

You will be guided step by step, that anybody who can read can build it. You do not need prior building experience or massive strength; it is that easy. Building the ultimate energizer takes under 4 hours if you are slow and definitely a lot less when you have help.

The ultimate energizer has already changed the lives of over 30,000 families who chose to power their homes using this eco-friendly device. This is definitely a good investment that is worth your time and money and if you think it isn’t after trying it out, you can request for a refund.

Is The Ultimate Energizer a Scam?

The ultimate energizer guide really show you how to power your house and save tremendously, or is this just another overhyped scam? this system was created after its owner decided he wanted to have a home power generating system in case of any crises or disasters.

The ultimate energizer pdf. It does not need any conventional electric power. The ultimate energizer scam. In this program, you can also build more generator and sell for profit. This product can also be incorporated into the automobile to power an electric motor.

All you need is an open mind and a desire to try new things to get a life in the field of freedom of energy. So, what are you waiting for? it’s time to say goodbye to major energy companies and start using the ultimate energizer guide today.