📚 Resources: External Links & References

Curated external resources organized by topic. Everything here is reviewed and recommended.

🌍 Online Learning Platforms

Free/Low-Cost Education

• Khan Academy — Foundational math, physics, chemistry (all free)
• MIT OpenCourseWare — Full university courses online
• Coursera — 90% of courses audit-free (paid certification optional)
• Udemy — Usually $10-15 per course when on sale
• YouTube Channels — See topic-specific lists below

Community Learning

• Local library — Often offer free classes + tool access
• Community colleges — Affordable certificates and courses
• Maker spaces — Access to equipment + community (usually $50-150/month membership)
• Tool libraries — Borrow expensive tools, learn how to use them

⚡ Energy Systems Resources

Learning Platforms

• Will Prowse (YouTube, 100+ videos): Solar system design, troubleshooting, best explanations
• Renewable Energy Institute: Professional-grade courses
• NREL Solar Database: PVWatts calculator, solar irradiance by location
• Homer Energy: System simulation software (free basic version)

Sites & Blogs

• PV Magazine: Industry news and analysis
• GTM Research: Market data and trends
• Energy Education: Physics fundamentals with energy applications
• OutBack Power: Technical documentation (even if not buying from them)

Communities

• DIY Solar Forum: Active community, knowledgeable
• Reddit r/solar: Peer advice, real installations
• Appropriate Tech Forums: (permies.com/forums/energy)

Key Tools

• PVWatts Calculator (pvwatts.nrel.gov): Production estimate by location
• Autodesk Fusion 360: Free 3D design (mounting hardware, enclosures)
• LibreCalc: Spreadsheet design for system sizing

💾 Local LLM & AI Systems

Getting Started

• Ollama (ollama.ai): Easiest LLM runner, 5-min setup
• LM Studio: GUI-based, beginner-friendly
• Text Generation WebUI: Advanced interface, more options
• LiteLLM: Unified API, useful for comparing models

Learning LLM Concepts

• 3Blue1Brown (YouTube): "Neural Networks" series (exceptional teaching)
• Jeremy Howard (fast.ai): Practical deep learning courses
• Hugging Face Course: Free, comprehensive, hands-on
• Anthropic's "Scaling Laws" paper: Understand why bigger = better

Model Resources

• Hugging Face Hub (huggingface.co): 500K+ models, all documented
• ModelCards: Standards for describing model strengths/weaknesses
• OpenLLM Leaderboard: Compare models objectively

Vector Databases & RAG

• Weaviate Docs (weaviate.io/developers): Best documentation
• Milvus Tutorials: Scalable vector search
• Chroma Docs: Simple, embedded solution

Communities

• r/LocalLLaMA (Reddit): Active community, troubleshooting
• Hugging Face Forums: Model-specific support
• Hacker News: When announcements drop, good discussion

Benchmarking Tools

• LLM Eval Harness: Systematic model comparison
• VLLM Benchmarks: Inference speed testing
• Local LLM Benchmarks (various): Compare on your hardware

🔬 STEM Core & Mathematics

Online Textbooks (Free)

• OpenStax Physics: Comprehensive, peer-reviewed, free PDF
• Khan Academy: Video + practice problems
• 3Blue1Brown: Visual intuition for math concepts
• PatrickJMT: Calculus and precalc (YouTube, excellent)

Interactive Learning

• Desmos Graphing Calculator: Explore functions interactively
• PhET Simulations: Physics simulations by University of Colorado
• Wolfram Alpha: Computational engine + step-by-step solutions
• GeoGebra: Geometry and algebra visualization

Problem Sets & Practice

• Art of Problem Solving (AoPS): Competition-level, very hard
• MIT Problem Solving Repository: Real exam problems
• Brilliant.org: Interactive problem sets (some free, premium available)

References

• Wolfram MathWorld: Mathematical definitions and theorems
• ProofWiki: Formal proofs of standard results
• xkcd: Humor + surprising depth on physics/math

🏗️ DIY Electronics & Fabrication

Getting Started with Arduino

• Paul McWhorter (YouTube, Sensor Kit Playlist): Best Arduino teaching
• Arduino Official Tutorials: Complete reference
• Adafruit Learning System: Component-specific guides
• Electronics Tutorials (electronics-tutorials.ws): Foundational concepts

PCB Design & Manufacturing

• KiCad Documentation: Complete open-source EDA tool
• JLC PCB Design Guide: Practical manufacturability rules
• Altium Designer (expensive, industry standard): Alternatives exist
• SparkFun Electronics: Great tutorials + components
• Adafruit: Similar to SparkFun, good documentation

3D Printing

• Prusa 3D Printing Handbook: Free, comprehensive, even non-Prusa users benefit
• MatterHackers Learning Center: Material selection, troubleshooting
• Fusion 360 Tutorials: Free CAD design
• Thingiverse (thingiverse.com): 2M+ community designs

CNC & Machining

• GreatScott! (YouTube): CNC projects and explanations
• NYC CNC: Advanced CNC techniques
• Shapeoko: Community forum, lots of DIY knowledge

Communities

• r/electronics: Component selection advice
• EEVblog (YouTube): Electronics testing, reviews
• HackADay: DIY projects, inspiration

🌾 Food & Agriculture

Permaculture & Design

• Sepp Holzer's Permaculture (book): Inspiring, practical
• Geoff Lawton: Permaculture videos (YouTube)
• Permaculture Research Institute: Theory and case studies
• Gaia's Garden (book): Suburban permaculture by Toby Hemenway

Seed Saving & Heirloom

• Seed Savers Exchange (seedsavers.org): Community, rare varieties
• Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds: Catalog is education in itself
• Fedco Seeds: Thoughtful descriptions, bulk options
• Johnny's Selected Seeds: Professional quality + beginner guides

Gardening Techniques

• University Extension: Region-specific, free, authoritative
• Gardening Know How: Comprehensive database of plants/problems
• Old Farmer's Almanac: Planting calendars, moon phases

Preservation & Processing

• Sally Fallon - "Wild Fermentation": Accessible fermentation guide
• NCHFP (National Center for Home Food Preservation): Safety-focused, tested recipes
• Backyard Chickens: Community forum, incredibly helpful
• Ferments.com: Fermentation science and recipes

Water & Soil

• Soil Foodweb Institute: Soil biology and testing
• NRCS Soil Data (soils.usda.gov): Local soil characteristics
• Rainwater Harvesting (Brad Lancaster): Best resource on water design
• Water Education Foundation: Water science + policy

🤝 Community & Governance

Organizational Models

• Crimethinc: Theory of consensus and autonomy
• Geese Collective: Care and organization resources
• Mutual Aid Networks: Solidarity during crisis
• Starhawk - "The Fifth Sacred Thing": Fiction exploring governance

Practical Resources

• Sociocracy 3.0 (S3): Decision-making framework (free online)
• The Toolbox for Change: Hundreds of facilitation techniques
• Conflict Transformation: Waterhouse (restorative justice approach)
• Consensus Handbook (IISC): Step-by-step facilitation

Communities

• r/CommunityOrganizing: Peer advice
• Neighborhood Networks: Local organizing resources
• Transition Towns: Bioregional sustainability networks
• Occupy Wall Street archive: Horizontal organizing lessons

🌱 Solarpunk & Ecopunk Narratives

Reading List

• "Ministry for the Future" (Kim Stanley Robinson): Solarpunk fiction
• "Parable of the Sower" (Octavia Butler): Ecopunk/dystopia
• "Project Drawdown" (Hawken): 100 climate solutions explained
• "The Fifth Sacred Thing" (Starhawk): Utopian SF, governance
• "Permaculture: A Designers' Manual" (Mollison): The Bible

Visual Resources

• Solarpunk Anthology: Community art and fiction
• Ecopunk Aesthetic (Pinterest, Tumblr): Visual inspiration
• Solarpunk Futures: Design concepts and discussions

Communities

• r/solarpunk: Growing community
• Solarpunk Discord: Active discussions
• Climate Optimism: Counter-narrative to doom-scrolling

🔧 Tools & Software (All Mostly Free/Open-Source)

Design & CAD

• Fusion 360: Free for personal/academic use (very powerful)
• FreeCAD: Fully open-source (steeper learning curve)
• Inkscape: Vector graphics (free, GIMP-like interface)

Data & Analysis

• LibreCalc: Spreadsheets (like Excel, free)
• R: Statistical programming (free, powerful)
• Python: Programming language (free, essential for data work)
  • Pandas: Data analysis library
  • Matplotlib: Plotting/visualization
  • Jupyter Notebooks: Interactive code + visualization

Writing & Documentation

• Obsidian: This vault's native format (free for personal use)
• Markdown: Plain text format (no lock-in, future-proof)
• Git/GitHub: Version control + collaboration

Electronics

• KiCad: PCB design (fully free, open-source)
• TinkerCAD: Simple 3D design (web-based, free)
• Fritzing: Circuit documentation (free, educational)

📊 Data & Research

Climate & Weather

• NREL PVWatts: Solar production by location
• Weather Underground: Historical weather data
• NOAA Climate Data: Official US climate records

Agricultural

• USDA Hardiness Zones: Growing region maps
• County Extension Offices: Free soil testing, region-specific guidance
• Farmer's Almanac: Planting dates, seasonal info

Energy Economics

• LCOE (Lazard): Levelized cost of energy comparison
• IEA Reports: International energy agency analysis
• EIA Data: US energy statistics

🎓 Advanced Topics

Renewable Energy Engineering

• MIT: Renewable Energy Engineering (OpenCourseWare): Professional-level
• IEA Technology Roadmaps: Future of renewables
• IRENA Reports: Renewable energy statistics global

Artificial Intelligence Ethics

• Bender et al. - "Stochastic Parrots": Critical LLM paper
• Bolukbasi et al. - "Word2Vec Bias": Bias in AI systems
• Center for AI Safety: Ethics and safety research
• Partnership on AI: Industry and civil society dialogue

Systems Thinking

• Donella Meadows - "Thinking in Systems": Essential reading
• MIT System Dynamics: Modeling complex systems
• Regenerative Organizational Development: Long-term thinking

🔗 Quick Reference by Topic

Energy: Will Prowse, PVWatts, DIY Solar Forum
LLM/AI: Ollama, Hugging Face, 3Blue1Brown
Electronics: KiCad, Paul McWhorter, Adafruit
Gardening: University Extension, Baker Creek, Seed Savers
Community: Geese Collective, S3, Transition Towns
Permaculture: Sepp Holzer, Geoff Lawton, PRIF
Math/Physics: Khan Academy, 3Blue1Brown, OpenStax

📖 Recommended Books (Physical)

Foundational

• "Art of Electronics" (Horowitz & Hill) — Electronics bible
• "Thinking in Systems" (Meadows) — Systems thinking
• "Permaculture: Designers' Manual" (Mollison) — Comprehensive design

Practical

• "Off Grid Living" (Chiras) — Holistic sustainability
• "Sepp Holzer's Permaculture" — Real farm scale-up
• "Make: Electronics" (Platt) — Accessible hands-on learning

Inspiration

• "Project Drawdown" (Hawken) — 100 solutions explained
• "Ministry for the Future" (Robinson) — Solarpunk fiction
• "The Fifth Sacred Thing" (Starhawk) — Utopian governance

❓ How to Use This Resources Section

1. Find topic of interest (Energy, LLM, Food, etc.)
2. Start with one recommended resource (YouTube channel or free course)
3. Go deeper as needed (books, advanced courses)
4. Join community relevant to your interest (Reddit, Discord, forums)
5. Build something with the knowledge
6. Document and share back (improve this vault)

🤝 Contributing Resources

Found a great tutorial, paper, or tool?

How to add:

1. Evaluate: Is it accurate, comprehensive, helpful?
2. Categorize: Which section fits?
3. Link: Add with brief description
4. Propose: Submit as GitHub issue or contribute directly

Quality over quantity: A few excellent resources > 100 mediocre links.

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Maintained by: Community
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