Note that this is a review: if you’re looking for the Earth 4 Energy website then please click here.
Why am I writing this? Well, when I was thinking about buying Earth 4 Energy, there weren’t many real reviews around so I thought I’d write one quickly to help any of you who are in the same position I was.
But be warned, I’ll be going into both the good and the bad points, so if that’s something you might not want to hear, then you may as well leave now…
First know that this is something that I’d purchased a LONG time ago now… years, in fact. Honestly, I’m amazed it’s still for sale which must indicate it’s still a wonderful source of knowledge!
As I’m sure you’re well aware, there aren’t too many options when it comes to DIY off-grid energy independence. Sure, there’s hydro power which is awesome if you have a nearby rushing river to harness but I surely do not and chances are you don’t either.
Similarly, you might believe that a human-powered gizmo is the way to go. I know I’ve looked into them and, sadly, having to physically generate power through work (either hand-crank or pedal-powered) just plain sucks. It’s a stop-gap solution at best.
What you NEED is something that is passive and reliable. Now we’re back to solar power and, in some cases, wind power. That’s why most every prepper or serious off-grid types go with one or the other or both. I know I’ve got my own small solar setup and would like to expand it one of these days.
The problem with expansion is that solar panels are costly! (And that’s not to mention the deep cycle batteries.) To make any decently-sized system you’ve got to spend a small fortune on panels and that’s money I don’t have and I’m sure you don’t either.
So, we’re down to one last option: DIY panels. I remember when I found this that I was skeptical. While I’m handy enough around the house, I’m no “Mr. Fix It” by any stretch of the imagination. 😉 And the thought of piecing together my own panels sounded like crazy talk.
Fortunately, the manual and videos walked me through the process. I was impressed. In fact, I actually tried making my own panels after purchasing a small lot from eBay but I wasn’t serious about it at the time so I didn’t take it any further. Looking back I wish I had done more!
Click here to learn more about the course that makes it possible for you and I to go off-grid. 🙂
If I remember right DIY panels wasn’t that difficult to do. Sadly, they had an “accident” a while back and so I tossed the project in favor of commercially-purchased panels.
Now, sure I had some hiccups, but so long as you pay attention to the directions (and especially watch the videos a few times) you’ll get the hang of it. They really did walk me through it. In fact, I recently reviewed the info and am looking forward to trying to make my own panels again… just have to find the time.
That said, it is work. It takes patience–which I often do not have–and you do have to pay attention to what you’re purchasing on eBay because it seems there are so many suppliers selling you parts for exactly this type of project.
Now, DIY solar isn’t the only aspect to the course. It also discusses making your own wind turbine. Of course, they made it look fairly easy but shaping the blades, in particular, and procuring a DC generator seemed a bit more complicated than anything I wanted to tackle at the time, so, I never did try that… maybe you won’t be so timid about it. 🙂
That said, I believe that most of us are better served with solar power rather than wind power because you actually need a LOT of consistent wind to make the idea useful, at least, that’s how I understand it. Solar is a much more viable way to go even at higher latitudes.
Regardless, you get both DIY tutorials for the price of one in the Earth-4-Energy course and that’s worth every penny! The best part is that even if you don’t get much use out of your DIY solar panels then you’ve at least (1) save money getting better prepared and (2) learned a valuable skill. In my humble opinion, it was worth the price several times over.
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