Keith Olson

I grew up on a tiny farm 30 miles up a logging road from the nearest town and, while we mostly heated with wood, we also had a 500-gallon(?) propane tank for all of our light, cooking, and some heating.  I remember the big truck only coming out a few times a year to fill it.  (I don't think that it ever occurred to my mother to get a dual-fuel propane/gasoline generator; for power, we mostly used banks of 12v batteries that we hauled into town to be charged at a friend's place.)  As depending on only a single source for anything is a really bad idea, I would suggest getting such a setup if you are concerned about losing power/NG for an extended period.  (It might also be possible/legal to have a buffer tank for NG that is filled from the main line and feeds your house.)  You can also get tri-fuel propane/gasoline/natural gas generators for maximum flexibility.

If you want an idea of what kind of things they consider worthy, here is a list of the 50 semifinalists from last year, when the theme was "You Build the Future."

2014 Prize intro:

The devices that inform our daily lives were science fiction in decades past. The barriers that once required giant companies to produce such marvels are starting to crumble. Now, one person with one idea can revolutionize the way we live our lives. Be that person.

About Hackaday:

What is Hackaday?

Hackaday is a vigorous community of Hackers, Designers, and Engineers who enjoy building it rather than buying it, fixing it rather than trashing it, and letting no challenge stand in the way of doing amazing things.

Hackaday.com publishes a steady stream of intriguing articles every single day. These include project features from around the community, our own original content, and new developments on the hardware scene. We are the gold standard of Hardware show and tell.

Hackaday.io is one of the many ways that we support Open Design. The hands-on site provides a place to post about projects, connect with others, and collaborate on the next big thing.

Last year The Hackaday Prize began a movement, this year we're solving problems that matter to everyone.

The creative energy and years of experience found in our huge community of Hackers, Designers, and Engineers is waiting to be unleashed. Let's use that potential and move humanity forward. This doesn't mean one giant solution. Thousands of people, each lifting one stone, moves mountains.

Solve a problem that matters in your community and you can win a trip into space or hundreds of other prizes. You can claim The 2015 Hackaday Prize!

As pretty much every project here is solving a problem, why not post it and see if you can win a prize? If nothing else, you will be sharing your solution with a lot of other people.

I came across this article about cheap, easy-to-make muscle wire, and the first thing that popped into my mind was how perfect it would be for automatically opening vents in greenhouses, based on how hot they are. (The annealing process they use could be a little tricky to replicate, though.)