1.
HOT
BOX Build two solar hot boxes and
conduct solar thermal experiments that demonstrate the greenhouse
effect. Paint the inside of
one black and the inside of the other white. Take temperature readings every
minute in bright sunlight and plot graphs of your results. Explain why one
solar hot box gets hotter than than the other. Use different glazings and
repeat your experiments.
2. Solar Collector Science
Project
Build a solar collector and
demonstrate how solar hot water can be made. This project is more advanced
than the others and will cost you more in labor and money, but the results
could be very impressive.
3. SOLAR CAR Build a solar car from a solar car kit for under twenty dollars. Explain the scientific principles of photovoltaic electricity . Experiment with light intensity.
II. Science projects using solar hot air.
4. Solar greenhouse Build a passive solar greenhouse, experimental model. Measure temperature differences at various levels inside the greenhouse and trace the convective currents that push their way into the house.
5. Trombe Wall Build a working passive solar heating Trombe Wall and demonstrate how it can add daytime heat to a house without loosing that heat at night.
6. Active solar greenhouse Build an active solar greenhouse. Explain the advantages and disadvantages of active and passive solar heating systems.
7. Active solar Trombe Wall Build an active solar heating Trombe Wall. Explain how it works.
8. Alternative solar housing Design and build your own solar hot air heating system, collect data and explain how it works.
III. Science Projects using direct heating for mild climates.
9. Heat Gain Design and build a direct gain solar greenhouse. Sometimes a solar greenhouse is only used to moderate greenhouse temperature swings so that plants can survive a harsh winter. Collect temperature swing data from a greenhouse with and without a heat storage tank. Explain the significance of your findings.
10. Heat Loss Direct gain heating systems have a high heat loss. Measure the temperature drop of a ceramic cup of boiling water over a period of thirty minutes.
Science Projects using solar hot water for mild climates.
11. Simple Batch Heater A Bread Box consists of a direct- gain, direct-heating, passive solar hot water tank. The hot water stored in the tank is used to preheat household water. Build a simple Bread Box solar hot water heater, collect data and explain the advantages and disadvantages of this solar heating system.
12. Thermo Siphoning Batch Heater Build a thermo siphoning system and demonstrate how it works. What problems would you expect when outside temperatures plummet below freezing?
V. Science Projects for cold climates use active solar hot water systems.
13. Solar Hot Water Build a display model of a closed loop solar hot water system to scale and use paint to make it appear real.
14. Multi Tank Heat Storage Build a working model of a multi tank heat storage vault. Explain why multi tank systems exchange heat better than single tanks with the same capacity.
15. Energy Independent Housing Design an energy independent house. How many collectors should you use. How big should the multi tank heat storage vault be? How many photovoltaic panels will you need?
16. Radiant Solar Heating Make a model of a radiant heating system. Explain why radiant heating is used for solar heating systems.
17. Solar Thermal Roof Make a scale model of a house with a solar thermal roof. Calculate how much fuel oil energy it will save in a year.
18. Solar Thermal Engine Design a solar thermal engine to work in harmony with a domestic solar heating system
19. Gallery of Solar Houses Design your own solar house based on understanding of solar thermal principles.
20. Solar Reflectors Parallel radiation may be concentrated with solar reflectors. A parabolic trough concentrates light on a line and a parabolic dish concentrates light on a point.
Strawberry Fields Solar Book
Store
How to Build a Solar Hot Water System
Solar Collector Plans
Energy Independent Housing
Alternative Housing for the 21st Century
Active Solar
Passive Solar
Greenhouse Effect and the Solar Greenhouse
Solar Energy the Alternative Energy of Choice
Heat Storage Vaults
Gallery of Solar Homes
Photovoltaic Electricity Animation
Solar Water Heating Animation
Our Sun and Our Future
Five Solar Thermal Principles
Solar Energy Facts
Solar Heating
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