Whilst a lot of people do have electricity in their own garages and sheds, heat can be an issue throughout winter.

However you can take advantage of the sunny days of winter and use solar power from the sun to produce heat in your garage. Particularly if you live in hilly or mountainous areas, where the sun can reflect the suns rays as you could build a solar furnace to collect some of that sunshine that bounces off the snow or that just beams down. Solar powered furnaces have in the past recorded to reach temperatures of up to 110 degrees. So if you have a lot of scrap laying around in your basement, then put it to good use.

You can start with some 2×4’s and plywood to make a simple box. It helps if you build your box to the dimensions of the material that you are going to be fitting in there, in this case you should use aluminum cans because they’re easy to get hold of and to fit into your home made box. 50 cans in 5 columns of 10 will funnel air upwards.

Before putting your cans in the box, be sure to seal the edges with wood glue to ensure that any of the heat that the box produces does not escape.

So you may have already thought, “How can air climb the columns of cans when there’s no hole at the bottom of the can?” Answer: drill press and 3/4-inch bit. Times 45.

The last five cans, the bases of each column, will sit on the bottom of the box and thus will be unable to draw air from underneath, so I poked holes in the sides of each of the five. Stack the cans with liberal doses of adhesive caulk. Give them enough time to dry. Once they have dried paint each column with black BBQ paint to absorb the suns heat, make sure that the paint is matt, as it absorbs more heat like this, BBQ paint is also very good because it keeps from flaking off the cans.

At the top, you can then drill an outlet hole. Leave an inch or two of space between the tops of the columns and the top of the box to permit air to flow out of the columns. Drill out the outlet hole based on the diameter of a wet-dry vacuum hose that you could find laying in your basement, about 1-1/2 inches in diameter.

At the bottom you can use another wet-dry vacuum attachment; the rectangle shaped end that you use on the carpet, this will disperse the incoming air more evenly. Screw it in at each ends, then glue the seal. Then you can start to glue the columns in place. Remember to have drilled your inlet hole in the bottom. You can drill an inlet hole at the base for each column if you have time, this way the air can simply pass over the cans (there’s about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch between the cans and the upper edge of the 2×4 frame) and all the air would be forced to pass though them picking up all of the absorbed heat.

You can then make a frame for your solar powered furnace using anything strong enough to hold it up towards the sun, you may wish to attach a thermometer to it to see how quickly it heats up and to what temperatures it can reach. Once it has been out side all day you can then bring it inside your garage and the heat that has been preserved by the solar heater shall radiate through your chosen space to heat up.

Xavier Tikadar
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/how-to-make-your-own-solar-powered-winter-garage-heater-522367.html

You may be surprised to learn how solar energy extraction has been around for over 100 years, and during the industrial revolution, the sun was used to produce steam which would then drive turbines generating power.

The technology we use today does not rely on steam, but the charging of electrons contained within solar cells made of semi-conductive material. So, we can learn by this, that solar technology not at all in it’s infancy, as many people currently believe. We should have much more confidence in the energy we are able to harness from the sun, and use this on a much larger scale.

Everyday, more energy hits your average rooftop than the energy which comes into your home through wires. This shows you the huge capacity that solar energy has to offer.

Many people agree, and rightly so, that the best source of natural energy out there (the sun) is hugely underrated. Solar energy has the potential to provide a home with a free (or a significant boost to a) power supply all year round.

New technologies are making solar panels increasingly efficient regarding power output, durability, and their ability to harness much more solar energy on dull and cloudy days. This makes a solar panel a very good option for integration to any household.

An ever growing number of people concerned about our environment, and the future effects of global warming, have found great success in installing a solar panel and home wind turbine mix. This provides a more stable energy supply, as in the summer your solar panel can shine, and in the winter your small wind turbine will provide that extra piece of mind.

The only reason that should stop you, or put you off the idea of home energy production is the initial cost. Many people cannot afford the initial investment needed, but if you can, the future benefits regarding your extremely low electricity bills will be well worth the investment.

http://www.clean-energy-ideas.com/solar_panels.html

James Bratley
http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/solar-energy-around-your-home-112133.html

It is no secret that the sun can be harnessed to provide a source of energy for homes and businesses.

The sun is a powerful star. It supplies us with energy, through a process called nuclear fusion, and sustains life on our planet Earth. Solar energy, or energy from the sun, has existed since prehistoric times when men would magnify the sun’s energy in efforts to start fires.

The sun is a valuable resource that radiates enough energy on the United States in one day to meet the nation’s needs for one and a half years. Since it is a free, clean and renewable source of energy, it is an energy source that will play a vital role in our future.

Using the sun’s energy for our energy source seems like an easy solution to having an energy supply forever. Harnessing the suns energy is where the problem lies. The sun’s rays shine all over the world and not in just one spot. Although it takes only 8 minutes for sunlight to travel to the earth, trying to catch the rays over such a wide area can prove to be tricky. Also, the energy in any one given place will vary due to factors, such as, clouds and weather conditions.

The history of using solar energy began in 1890’s when solar water heaters were used in the United States. Solar water heating requires a storage collector and a storage tank. Flat plate solar collectors are mounted on rooftops. Pipes carrying water are pumped through these collectors. The tubes are painted black so they will get hot quicker. As the heat is collected the fluid in the tubes get heated. A storage tank holds the hot liquid. This helps with central heating and cutting fuel costs. Solar heaters became popular when natural gas was expensive and burning wood and coals were burdensome. It’s popularity diminished with the discovery of an abundance of natural gas and oil deposits. Now they are making a comeback to replace the depleting fossil fuels that had taken its place.

Solar energy can be in the form of heat energy or light energy. The technology of photovoltaic, or PV as it is commonly called, converts the suns energy into electric currents through the use of solar cells. These electric currents can be used instantaneously or stored for later use. The PV cells consist of pieces of silicon under a thin piece of glass. They have both a positive and negative charge. Simple examples of this are the solar powered calculators that are common today. More complex examples are solar panels placed on roofs. This consists of using thin film solar cells as rooftop shingles, roof tiles, and even glazing for skylights. Unfortunately, the cells generate only about one sixth of the sun’s energy into electricity. This means bigger arrays are needed and along with this come larger costs.

Solar thermal power plants use the sun to heat fluid, which in turn, is transferred into steam similar to fossil fuel burning plants. The steam is transformed into mechanical energy in a turbine and electrical energy from a generator. The downfall is solar plants cannot produce energy on cloudy days.

It is expected the next few years will see millions of households using solar energy. As research continues and processes improve, using our sun as a renewable energy source will produce efficiency and cost savings. So, let the sun shine in and take full advantage of this warm energy source where you live.

Matthew Hick
http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/solar-renewable-energy-sun-power-103549.html

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