| My Solar Water Heating Project |
 |
 |
 |
| Energy Tech - At Home |
| Friday, 16 May 2008 07:59 |
|
My interest in renewable energy has led to experiments with solar electricity and to home heating with bio-fuels, so I guess it’s only natural that I would want to experiment with solar water heating as well. My latest project is an attempt to build a solar-powered water heater for my above-ground swimming pool. I’m not concerned with storing hot water, so I won’t need a tank. I just want to be able to raise the water temperature in the pool during the day. I started with a plan to pump water from the pool, circulate it through tubing where it would be heated by the sun, and return the heated water back into the pool. I planned to mount PVC tubing to the side of a storage shed, and to paint the tubing black to increase its ability to absorb the sun’s heat. As the experiment progressed, family members hinted that the backyard was beginning to look like a wastewater treatment plant. I had to admit that they were right, and I decided to change my approach. Since the storage shed has an insulated ceiling, I decided to take advantage of the heat that builds up in the attic. Instead of mounting the tubing on the side of the shed, I’ve mounted it to the inside of the roof. I currently have 120 feet of 1” PVC pipe installed, and I’ll add as much as 200 feet more if necessary. The cost for the tubing is $2.42 per 10 foot section. I’ve purchased a small pump, and it seems to be able to circulate the water. I won’t know how well the system works until I can test it on a hot day. I’m currently using a 55 gallon plastic drum as a substitute for the pool. Mounting the tubing in the attic means that it will be out of sight and out of mind during the winter. I won’t have to clean around and under the pipe array. I’ll just have to make sure that the pipes are drained, and gravity will help with that. In addition to its use as a pool water heater, I also have the option of using it as a solar-heated shower. I can make that conversion by connecting a garden hose to the pipe array, instead of pumping water from the pool. Regulating the amount of flow should also regulate the water temperature. The entire project will cost less than $300.00, and it should last for years. I’ll post additional details later, but here are some pictures of the project as it stands today.    Many thanks to Solar Gary for ideas and advice on solar water heating strategies. Anyone considering a related project should check out his website for ideas: http://www.builditsolar.com/ John |
Off Grid Solar PV - Measuring Progress In a speech at the World Future Energy Summit recently, Department of Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman told the audience “the biggest source of immediately available “new” energy is the energy that we waste every day.” Those words reminded me of... Read more At Home | | Friday, 1 February 2008 |
Make Solar Panels - Save Yourself Some CashStop using regular sources for energy and start using renewable resources! Solar power is one of the best renewable resources that you can use out there, as well as one of the most reliable. While it"s been around for quite... Read more At Home | | Wednesday, 6 August 2008 |
Make a Wind Generator Easily and EfficientlyIf you have been looking into investing money into manufactured wind generators, have you considered building your own? While the task may seem difficult, building your own wind generator is easier than you think. Not only that, but it makes... Read more At Home | | Augustonday, 18 August 2008 |
Off-Grid PV System Performance Data The graph shown below is the result of battery voltage readings taken every 30 minutes for 5 days and nights. Battery voltage increases during the day, even on cloudy days, as a result of charge current from the solar panels.... Read more At Home | | Marchonday, 10 March 2008 |
Hybrid RefrigeratorsTechnology Review has an article on a hybrid refrigerator will bring "efficient, cheap cooling" to India and lessen dependence on diesel powered refrigeration - Cheap, Off-Grid CoolingA startup based in Cambridge, MA, has developed a new solar-powered refrigeration system for... Read more At Home | | Sunday, 5 October 2008 |
I've Automated my Off-Grid PV System Because over-discharging batteries can ruin them, I only connect loads to my photovoltaic (PV) system on weekends and evenings, and only when I’m home and awake so that I can carefully monitor battery voltage. I’ve been getting 10 to 12kwh... Read more At Home | John | Februaryonday, 25 February 2008 |
Pop Culture now involved in Energy is Good!Many people have seen the Paris Hilton advertisement regarding "her" energy plan that is a compromise between the mainstream competing plans by the presidential candidates McCain and Obama. She was responding to the John McCain advertisement that compares Obama to... Read more At Home | | Saturday, 16 August 2008 |
Grow your own home MSNBC has an article on "plantware" - coaxing trees to help form habitable structures - Live architecture: Grow your own home.Tolkien"s hobbits would feel right at home in new dwellings made out of living tree roots and designed to protect... Read more At Home | | Sunday, 31 August 2008 |
|
More in: At Home |
|
100% - + 8Show options | |
.jpg)
