FEAST kids power up at Youngren's

FEAST kids power up at Youngren’s

Alternative energy guru Eric Youngren invited teens out to his off-grid home to learn about solar and hydro power systems last week, as part of this summer's Farm Education and Sustainability for Teens (FEAST) program.

By Meredith Griffith • July 30, 2010 4:36 pm

It turns out a bucket of water is a pretty good metaphor for electricity.

Drill a hole at the bottom, and the water comes shooting out at a rate determined by the size of the hole and the amount of pressure exerted by the water in the bucket. Presto: you’ve got an illustration of how power is the result of voltage (potential) multiplied by current (flow rate).

Alternative energy guru Eric Youngren invited teens out to his off-grid home to learn about solar and hydro power systems last week, as part of this summer’s Farm Education and Sustainability for Teens (FEAST) program.

Youngren equipped the students with power drills and taught them how to run calculations using hole sizes and flow rates. They examined the amount of power required to run devices like a laptop, a microwave, LED or CFL lights or an iPod that are often part of a home’s energy requirements.

He gave a demonstration of his Solar Nexus Powercenter, a pre-wired, metal-enclosed device he developed to streamline off-grid solar installations. The power center contains the inverters, charge controllers, circuit breakers and other electronic components needed to convert solar energy into usable power. Solar panels and a battery are plugged in to create a complete solar-electric system.

Youngren also showed the group his hydro-electric installations, powered by the artesian spring that flows down the hillside near his home.

The students saw how flowing water diverted from the stream spins a turbine, generating the electricity that powers Youngren’s home. He explained how hydro power is first enabled by solar power, as the potential energy of the water is created by its elevation through evaporation. A second hydro system generates power that he sells to OPALCO.

Youngren is a certified PV solar installer and owns Solar Nexus International, which sells customized solar power systems for delivery and installation around the globe. He traveled to Tanzania’s Chole Island this May with the non-profit SolarAid to help train local installation crews.