Residential heating has more than doubled in the past several years and its looking like it will double or triple in the coming years. As more supplies are consumed and less fuel becomes available for creating energy we need to look for a renewable source of fuel. Solar energy is free but the equipment is not. So how can we lower the cost to take advantage of the power of the sun?
At this time it’s not possible to go to the store and choose a solar heating system from stock. Hiring a contractor to install a system requires the components, man hours and costs. Costs that don’t make it “cost effective” to install a solar panel system in your home. The “do it yourselfer” has the advantage but only if they have knowledge of carpentry, plumbing, and electrical wiring.
Back in the olden days they used iron to heat their homes. The iron was heated by the sun and air was blown over it forcing it into the house. Solar water heaters were used in the 1930s but were replaced by, at the time, low cost natural gas. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has been researching solar energy since 1939. They build three houses to test and research solar panels. (You’d think they would have come up with something by this time) As far as I know they’re still researching solar energy.
There are two kinds of solar collectors, the focusing type and the flat panel type. Focusing collectors use special shaped mirrored surfaces to concentrate the sun power. Focus type collectors produce very high temperatures, even up to a thousand degrees but they need a tracking system to track the collectors with the sun. Of course, overcast skies won’t produce any heat.
The flat panel will collect even on cloudy days plus the simplicity of a flat solar panel doesn’t need a tracking system. It’s also less expensive than a focusing collector and a flat solar panel is easy to install for the “do it yourselfer”.
The major components of a solar heating system is the solar panel, hot water distribution system, storage tank, circulating pump and flow controls and a water to air exchanger for return air from the furnace. And if you understand all that then you should put one in yourself. Back in the 1930s and 1940s they used water based systems heated to 180 degrees to heat houses. Many houses today still have the components in the house but the system no longer work. If you have one you might think about using it again as the price of oil, natural gas, and home fuel rises.
There are several solar powered system that don’t cost too much to install and don’t require a contractor to install them. One way is to use the power of the sun to cook. Solar cookers can be made with a cardboard box, duct tape, and tin foil. The only disadvantage of a solar cooker is you have to plan ahead. They take more than 15 minutes to cook your dinner. They will work on cloudy days too. Another way to heat without solar panels is another cardboard box, piece of glass, a fan and your window.
The box is painted black; (to create more heat) The fan is put inside on the window sill to pull the heat from the box. The box is taped or stapled to the outside of the window and as the sun heats up the box the fan pull the hot air out of the box and into you home. Volia! Instant heater.
Of course, there are disadvantages to this method but they can outweigh the advantages. If you need heat in a hurry this little box system will work during the day but at night, well, no sun at night. But it will keep your house warm when the sun is out so you’re not spending money on power.
I don’t want to sound preachy but if everybody tried one way of saving power with solar energy you could cut the cost of your energy in half for the year. Good luck!
