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Sunday, 13 September 2009

How to Use Solar Power for 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.

A sun room is attached to the house and usually constructed of glass panels from floor to ceiling. Generally sun rooms are built facing the morning sun so they get the full effect of the sun's rays. The sun's rays are intensified by the glass so everything in the room is heated. This is a natural method of heating that is also very efficient.

Here are some other types of solar 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.

Another solar ventilation system is called a solar chimney.It is made of thermal mass that is hollow on the inside. The chimney warms the air inside of it causing heat to rise. This allows the air to circulate and vent properly. 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.

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 is a variety of ways to provide heating and cooling to our businesses,homes, and schools. The methods listed above attempt to use natural means as much as possible. In the long run it will pay off to use the sun and not artificial sources of heat that use non renewable materials.

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