Energy Fair full of ideas
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Big ideas and small lifestyle changes filled the 10th Annual Renewable Energy Fair.
The event, held Aug. 13-14 at the Ogle County Fairgrounds, featured workshops and vendors promoting a green lifestyle.
One workshop was on how to make a rain barrel for a home or business.
"The main benefit of rain barrels is to help prevent rain water from going into your basement," said Tad Vogl, Geneva. "By using a rain barrel you divert the water and have a free source of water for your garden."
The energy costs of pumping water to the home to water gardens is eliminated, he said.
"Rain barrels offer a homeowner an opportunity to go green at a low cost," said Vogl. "They are easy to make and can blend in with a garden."
At the energy fair, Vogl was offering kits to make a barrel, but there was no pressure to purchase a kit.
Vogl showed everyone how easy the barrels are to make even if they did not purchase a kit.
He also offered tips on what materials to use for a rain barrel.
"It is important for home use to use a food grade barrel," said Vogl. "You can call and look online to find companies selling excess barrels."
During the fair, Vogl was using barrels from a pickle company.
More complex projects were also on display at the energy fair.
Ken Gallenbeck, Byron, had his brand new 1997 electric Chevrolet pick-up truck at the fair.
"I finished the truck eight days ago," said Gallenbeck. "I like that I will not be buying gas for my daily commute to the farm in Pecatonica."
The truck operates on a 144 volt lithium-ion battery pack.
"When I was converting this truck, I was planning on using acid batteries, so by using lithium, I have room to add more battery cells in the future," said Gallenbeck.
With the current batteries, Gallenbeck said his truck has a comfortable range of 30 miles.
"I was hoping to have a 40 mile range, but that put the batteries at 80 percent discharge," said Gallenbeck.
While working on the farm the truck will be plugged in to a 220 service. Gallenbeck expects a full recharge will take five hours.
"It has been fun doing this conversion," said Gallenbeck. "In total I worked on the truck for about a year and a half to complete the conversion."
When Gallenbeck purchased the truck, he knew their was no rust and the engine was bad. It was a perfect canvas to work from to make his electric truck.
"I was able to use the standard transmission that came with the truck," said Gallenbeck. "With an adaptor plate I was able to attach it to the electric motor."
The kit Gallenbeck used on his truck was purchased from Craig Dusing, Millegeville.
In total, with hours spent working on the truck and parts, Gallenbeck thinks he put $12,000 into the project.
Safety was also a priority when making the conversion.
"I have an emergency kill switch in the truck," said Gallenbeck. "I also installed a switch to kill the truck if there is an accident."
During the fair a variety of workshops were offered on a wide range of topics concerning a green lifestyle.
The exhibitors set up at the fair showcased products that ranged from organic vegetables and local honey to led light bulbs.
Sonia Vogl, one of the event's organizers, said the workshops were well-received.
"People were excited about them," she said. "They were really excellent. They provided a lot of useful information."
Vogl didn't have a final tally yet on how many people turned out for the fair, however, she said attendance was down somewhat due to off and on downpours on Saturday.
"We had a lot of really positive responses, though. People said it was the best one ever," she said.
