Solar Heat

MTC · Jan 28, 2010

Hi guys-any of you use these solar heat panels?I made one a couple weeks ago and boy does it kick out the heat.Today it got up to 8 degrees here in Wi. and the 4 by 8 solar panel was kicking out 105 degree heat.I am impressed.Any thoughts?Thanks

old · Jan 28, 2010

I don't use one but sure would like to see what and how you built one. I have wanted to do solar heat and power for years but the cost has stopped me so far

TimV · Jan 28, 2010

Old: here's one I made--less than $100 in the whole thing, and it easily saved that the first winter. Old window with foam insulation around it, plywood backing, sheet aluminum painted black for a heat absorber, pine boards for heat baffles, and hung the whole thing on a south-facing wall on my trailer. In full winter sun I can get 120+ air coming out of the heater. One good website is Build It Solar--lots of real-world projects and friendly people willing to share their ideas--a lot like this site.

Build It Solar

omahagreg · Jan 28, 2010

In about 1980, Dad and I built an 8x8 forced air when we lived by North Sioux City South Dakota. We had aluminum baffles in it to make 9"x9" squares, then the whole thing was painted flat black. We did some research and found out the optimum sun angle in winter, so the bottom of the panel was away from the house approximately 3 feet, top was attached to the house. We used a furnace fan switch that had a 20 degree spread-came on at 110 degrees and off at 90 degrees. Used a furnace fan as well. It worked well, but we did end up doubling the collector size, as it seemed to be too small. Then we moved to Omaha, and still had some of the opaque panels. Dad's house had an attached porch on the south side, so he covered it with those panels. That porch worked WAY better than our designed collector, for WAY less effort. Greg

Solar Heat

MTC

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old

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TimV

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omahagreg

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