Harnessing the Sun for Home Heat
by Alexei Nevic
We have all gotten used to having heat on demand,but the ways that heat is generated are largely inefficient.Using solar energy to heat our homes,schools,and businesses is not only more energy efficient but cost effective too.Heat from the sun can be captured in several ways,even in winter. To be able to harness the sun’s heat you will need a solar source.This is something that will attract the sun’s rays and trap the heat that is generated by them.A sun room is a good example of this.
Sun rooms are attached to the house and are typically constructed of floor to ceiling glass panels.They are usually built to face the full morning sun so as to get the full effect of the heat. The glass intensifies the sun’s rays so that everything in the room is heated. This is a very efficient and generally economical way of heating.
Here’s some other forms of solar power heat:
Thermal mass that absorbs and retains the heat of the sun while it is shining and then disperses it after the sun goes down.
A Trombe Wall is a natural ventilation and solar heating system. It uses air channels to retain the heat between glass and a thermal mass that is facing the sun. The sunlight is absorbed and stored in the wall. It is then circulated through vents in the top and bottom of the wall.The wall radiates heat this way.
A solar chimney is another solar ventilation system. It is made of a thermal mass that is hollow on the inside. The chimney warms the air inside of the chimney and causes the heat to rise. This rise allows air to vent and circulate properly.
A good way to ventilate a building is using solar cooling. This is done by absorbing solar heat and cooling it by making ice with a solar powered steam engine attached to the cooling device.
There are several ways we can heat and cool our homes,schools, and businesses. The methods that have been listed try to highlight how you can use the sun for this need without having to depend on those that use non renewable materials for energy.
