Build Your Own Solar Mower - July's Sustainable Living Talk

Notice: Due a broken link in August's newsletter, you may have been directed here by mistake. Our talk on August 14 will feature George Doughty, speaking about "Free Hot Water from the Sun." Details about August's talk are available here »

F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods and Supplies, 56 Maine St., Brunswick, will host a talk by Guy Marsden of ART*TEC titled "Build Your Own Solar Mower," on Thursday, July 10, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. The talk is free and open to the public.

As featured in Popular Science Magazine, Guy Marsden will show the 22" lawn mower that he converted to operate from solar charged battery power. Marsden will demonstrate how to remove the gasoline motor from a lawn mower and replace it with an electric motor and a battery. The battery can then be charged from solar panels mounted on the roof of a garden shed.

A solar mower cuts just as well as the original gas powered unit, but is much quieter, uses free energy and emits no pollution. The battery lasts 20-30 minutes on a charge and can re-charge in 4-6 hours on a clear sunny day. Converting a gas mower to solar is featured as one of "Ten Audacious Ideas to Save the Planet" in the July 2008 issue of Popular Science Magazine.

Marsden will discuss the conversion process in detail and share sources for the parts. He will bring the mower and a second mower deck that he has refurbished that will be available for sale should anyone wish to get a start on this project.

Lawnmowers produce a significant amount of pollution as they have no pollution control equipment at all. The Electric Power Research Institute of Palo Alto claims that replacing half of the nearly 1.3 million walk-behind gas mowers used in the United States with electric mowers would eliminate the equivalent hydrocarbon emissions of 2 million cars.

This talk is part of the F.W. Horch series on sustainable living. Each monthly talk is held on the second Thursday of the month at the F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies store, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick. Space is limited, so those interested in attending are encouraged to call the store at 729-4050 to reserve a seat.

For more information, please visit www.FWHorch.com.