Solar Heaters

Leta

Lovin' The Homestead
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Has anyone built one of these?

(There are a zillion videos about this on YouTube- here's one to get you started.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NveshAa5qpk)

The commercial models cost $2800, and I'm sure we could build one more cheaply than that, but I'm curious as to how much we should plan on spending and well they work. They say that the 240 can model will heat 1000 square feet.

Since we have 10c can deposit here, I think it would be more cost effective for us to use 3" aluminum ductwork.

We have a well insulated, 1500 sq ft house with great Southern exposure, a pellet stove as an additional heat source, and a 600 square foot old Michigan basement.

I would love to hear any ideas or experiences.
 

jeffreydominic

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The intense rays set the sails on fire and staved off the invasion. Since Archimedes, many of the most progressive thinkers have harnessed the power of the sun. The effect is similar to that of our atmosphere which traps sunlight and warms the earth.
 

Daffodils At The Sea

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The window solar heater on the builtitsolar site is good. The YouTube has the right idea, but using a fan isn't necessary if it goes directly into the bottom of the window (which theirs doesn't). It's also not necessary to create turbulence with the baffles if not using a fan. I live where there is fog, and there's low solar when it's foggy, so a solar fan wouldn't work, but heat gets through fog and still heats up the solar heater unit. Hot air rises, and a unit leaning against the house with an entrance through a window like that works really well. Of course, the house has to be insulated, floors, ceiling and walls, and painted a flat very dark green or black on the exterior, or else it's going to take a lot more than a solar heating unit. It's easy to get the heat, not so easy to keep it inside. :)
 

jamescolon

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No doubt, this is great invention, but there are solar refrigerators in the market...
 

xpc

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jamescolon said:
No doubt, this is great invention, but there are solar refrigerators in the market...
yes, it is called ammonia absorption, eta 100 years ago.
 
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