Solar
energy is our birthright like the air we breathe or the water we drink. Solar
Home Plans
and cost effective
Solar Hot Water Projects are the gateway into
a "Solar Age" of energy independence. Fossil fuels are no longer
necessary to keep the wheels of civilization turning. Build your own solar
heating system. Explore the Strawberry Fields Book Store. Alternative energies like
solar energy will increase in value as fossil fuel prices
escalate making energy efficient, solar
houses more valuable. Solar
collectors, solar hot water systems, heat storage vaults, photovoltaic
electricity, solar panels, and solar
greenhouses will soon become
the standard rather than the exception to the standard in the near future According to Buckminster
Fuller "We have wondered too far from the roots." An energy crisis can
only be avoided only if we learn to rely on a diffuse, sustainable resource like the sun.
Become part of the green economy
and travel on the Green
Train and learn about Solar
Rebate Incentives and
Sunlight
Do-it-yourself solar thermal projects
can make us more energy independent. The greenhouse effect is a miracle
of nature that makes trapping heat possible. Without this method of
trapping heat our tiny planet would be a frozen waste land like the
Moon. A conscious effort to make better use of this miracle of nature can
free us from dependence on non renewable resources and allow us to at last live
in a sustainable economy unfettered by the restraints of big business and big
government. Thegreenhouse effect
is something that all domestic solar thermal systems have in common....
Solar collectors use the greenhouse effect
to capture
the sun's energy. Both solar collectors and solar greenhouses are able to harvest
the suns energy in the form of heat.
Two of these serpentine collectors cover a surface area 60 square feet.
The glazing is more durable than glass and much lighter.
See what people are saying about my Do it yourself book: "How
to Build a Solar Hot Water System"
Solar Panels
are very much different than solar collectors. They use selective wavelengths of light to produce
electricity and they work best
in direct sunlight at a low temperature. Large PV systems are still quite costly.
They use inverters to
convert DC panel power to compatible AC power. This AC power is often interfaced
with the grid so that solar energy may be shared with others.
The
initial cost of a photovoltaic application will never be as low as the cost of
DIY solar heating projects that harvest the equivalent quantities of energy... HOWEVER
The cost of PV systems has come way down in the last 5
years. With the advent of thin film technology it appears the price of PV will
continue to plummet in the coming years, but the question is can we afford to
wait much. Heat and power are different animals and we need them both..
The AC/DC Differential
Controller responds to the difference in temperature between collector
and storage and turns an AC or DC pump on and off to maximize the heat harvest
from a solar hot water or solar heating system. Temperature monitors are
used to display the actual temperatures inside the collector and inside the heat
storage tank, but the controller will function without them.
This AC/DC
controller consumes
less than 1 watt of power per hour yet it is capable of regulating 300 Watt pumps.
It's a rugged, dependable, analog controller that may be mounted on a wall. The
temperature probes and power connections are attached to the terminals on the
bottom of the controller to facilitate wiring.
Universal Differential Controller
An integrated differential on
and differential off pump adjustment A pump on indicator lamp A heat
available indicator lamp A relay that can handle AC or DC pumps requiring
over 300 watts of power A voltage regulator that limits current in the
probes A mounting block Two NTC 10K thermistor probes Polarity
protection incase the DC supply is reversed Rugged, easy to use
connectors Full hook up and diagnostic instructions email support
Join the Solar Thermal Energy Group
and discover the kind of solar home that's right for your taste. Become part of part of the new age of energy independence and take a stand
against global warming and big business.
This house is based on a Harry E Thompson's Trickle Down solar thermal roof system but
it's been modified to for easy installation on top of an existing roof.
I call this new concept Modified
Trickle Down solar
heating or MTD
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