The Numerous Faces of Solar Power
Living in Nevada, the sun is a practically continuous companion. This offers Nevadans a distinct opportunity to utilize solar radiation powers for excellent. In April, a trip of southern Nevada homes shed some light on the topic of solar powered homes. Hosted by the American Solar Power Society, this Nevada branch of the National Solar Tour checked out homes that utilized both passive and Geelong plumbing article review active solar power, thermal warm water systems, and other ecologically functions. However, unless you're a green technologies specialist, or took the tour, you might not understand the distinction between passive and active solar, or how thermal hot water is various than average. Let me help you understand!
Active solar technology is the one that most people may recognize with. It involves having a photovoltaic panel that gathers the sun's energy and transforms it into electrical power. These have a battery where energy is saved, so electricity can still be used at night, and, to a specific level, on cloudy days. Solar panels are an excellent method to make electrical energy, especially in remote areas. While they are moderately expensive to set up, and do need some maintenance, they provide trusted and free electricity, even in environments far less warm than Nevada's.
Passive solar innovations are far older than active ones, and involve making use of the natural heat and light the sun develops, without transforming it in any other method. Have you ever noticed that after a long, hot day, south-facing rocks, pavement or brick and adobe buildings will radiate heat? They have spent the day passively collecting solar power, and are launching it. Some products are better at absorbing and saving that heat than others. For example, wood insulates, implying it will obstruct temperatures, whereas stone will take in and release temperatures. Houses that are constructed to benefit from passive solar are typically constructed of brick, adobe or concrete. Cob is another passive-solar-friendly and ancient building material that is going through a revival of sorts. It is made from sand, clay and straw, similar ingredients as adobe, but adobe is baked into bricks and stacked, whereas cob structures are free-formed while the material is wet. Passive solar homes usually have a great deal of windows lining their south walls, and less so their east and west walls, with little to no windows on the chillier north sides. These windows do 2 things. Initially, they offer natural light inside the home, one element of passive solar. Second, they enable heat to come into the home. If the home has a stone tile floor and even walls, that tile will soak up the heat, releasing it later on when the outside temperature drops.
Passive solar homes can be created to be cool in summertime while using the sun to warm them in winter. For instance, if shutters are closed during summer season, the home will remain much cooler. Also, the height and angle of overhang can be considered to make the most of the windows direct exposure to low winter sun, but lessen exposure to the high summer sun. Alternatively, I saw an interesting example of somebody planting deciduous trees on the south side of their home. In the winter, the trees had no leaves and so allow a great deal of light and heat. In the summertime, their thick plant provided shade that kept the house cool.
So that is the major distinction between active and passive solar technologies. Since passive solar is basically complimentary, it would be wise for any architect or home designer to take it into consideration when building new homes. Well created passive solar homes can greatly lower their electrical energy needs. And while active solar is brilliant technology, it still takes numerous resources to create. Plus, it might be superfluous in an area with an existing electrical source.
As for thermal water heating, it too is an extremely easy concept. Home made thermal water heaters can be as basic as an outside water tank painted black, but that's a little crude for a lot of tastes. However, there are a variety of designs out there. Some have panels that are metal painted black and enclosed with glass, with copper pipelines filled with water going through them. This water will heat up, and is then pushed by gravity into an insulated tank. Some solar water heaters use a similar set-up but with tubes filled with anti-freeze that are then hooked up to a heat transfer loop, where water in a tank is heated. Whatever system you use, thermal water heating is remarkably affective.
There are a lot of ways to make the most of the sun and utilize less electricity. Check out next year's National Solar Tour to see them on your own.
