Sunday, September 28, 2008
Heating Or Cooling With Solar Power
We are used to turn a dial or push a button in order to obtain heat or hot water. These ways are
nice but they may be expensive as well. Heating homes, schools or businesses with solar energy is
not only easy but cost effective as well. There are several ways that we can capture the sun's heat
even in winter times. In order to capture the sun's heat you need a solar collector. This collector
can be something that will attract the sun rays but trap the heat from it when it enters the
source. A good example is a sunroom.
These rooms are attached to a home or a building and are constructed of glass panels from the floor
to the ceiling. It is usually facing the morning sun in order to get the full affect of the heat.
When the sun shines into the room the glass allows the sunrays heat the furniture and everything in
the room. These areas become the source that holds the heat in so that it will not escape back out
of the glass. This type of heating is natural and can be very efficient if it is constructed
correctly.
Other forms of solar power heat are:
Thermal mass that absorbs and holds in the heat. It traps and holds heat while the sun is shining
and disperses the heat when the sun goes down.
Trombe Wall is a natural solar heating and ventilation system that uses air channels to hold the
heat between a glass object and a thermal mass that is facing the sun. The sunlight gets trapped
and stored inside this wall and is then circulated though vents and the top and the bottom of the
wall. The wall radiates the heat.
Transpired collector is also a wall that is used facing the sun.
The wall absorbs the sunlight and heats the air when it enters into the ventilation
system.
Solar Cooling is a great way to ventilate a building. It absorbs
the solar heat and cools it making ice with a solar powered steam engine that is attached to a
cooling device.
Solar Chimney is also a solar ventilation system. It is made of a
thermal mass that is hollow inside. The chimney will warm the air inside the chimney and causing
the heat to rise. The rise allows the air to circulate and vent properly.
There are multiple ways that are available for heating and cooling
our homes, businesses, buildings or other structures that need to be heated. All the chniques
listed above use natural material that will pay off in the long run.
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