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Image how cool it would be to heat up your pool using a solar swimming pool heater. Number one you can significantly reduce swimming pool heating costs. The cost to install them is about the same as gas and heat pump pool heaters. But they have very low annual operating costs. Actually, solar pool heating is the most cost-effective use of solar energy in many climates.

How they work is not that complicated:

• A solar collector — the device through which pool water is circulated to be heated by the sun
• A filter — removes debris before water is pumped through the collector
• A pump — circulates water through the filter and collector and back to the pool
• A flow control valve — automatic or manual device that diverts pool water through the solar collector.

Talk to a contractor and see what they can offer.

Source: Department of Energy

Did you know that clear glass transmits up to 90% of solar radiation. It either absorbs or reflects only 10% of solar radiation.You would think since clear glass can transmit solar radiation in, it can also transmit it back. The beauty is that, it doesn’t, after solar radiation is transmitted through the glass and absorbed by the home, it is radiated again from the interior surfaces as infrared radiation.

Although glass allows solar radiation to pass through, it absorbs the infrared radiation. The glass then radiates part of that heat back to the home’s interior. In this way, glass traps solar heat entering the home. So that’s why many energy efficient homes have almost all glass walls or large windows.

Source: http://www.energysavers.gov

Solar water heaters are great. They will save energy, money, and the environment. But before you buy and install a solar water heating system, you need to first consider your home’s solar resource. Not all homes are suitable for a solar water heater system. It all depends on how much sun light your home gets.

Solar water heating systems use both direct and diffuse solar radiation. Ideally, if you live in a sunny, dry, and warm climate, it’ll be great to install one. However, northern climate might still have enough solar resources. The most important is where your home is built. If it’s built in a heavily wooded area, then it’ll not work.

The best way for you to find out if not through guessing, but consulting a solar system supplier or installer. They’re trained professionals who can conduct a solar site analysis.

Source: EERE

With the large window and skylights installed in the house, it’s definitely a great way to harvest solar energy. However, there’s a problem. You will also get the sun light in summer which can heat up the house like an oven. So the energy you saved during winters times are spent in the summer to cool off. However, it doesn’t have to be that way.

All it takes is to block the sunlight in the summer. You can do so by using overhang and shutters. Interior and exterior window shutters can help reduce heat gain in your home. Window shutters also offer weather protection and add more security to your house.

Source: EERE

If you think solar panels cost too much, there are other ways to harvest solar energy and save energy without the high cost. You can install solar water heaters, also called solar domestic hot water systems can to generate hot water for your home. The good news is that they can be used in any climate and for free.

How does a solar water heater work? Solar water heating systems come with storage tanks and solar collectors. The storage tank is well-insulated and has an additional outlet and inlet connected to/from the solar collector. In a 2 tank system, the heater preheats water before it enters the conventional water heater. In 1 tank system, the backup heater and the solar storage are in one tank. The cost of a solar water heater usually is around $1,100.

In a summer day, go outside and stay underneath the Sun for 5 minutes and you will feel the power the sun’ heat. The light the heat is solar energy. Most people know about active solar systems such as solar panels, solar power plants, but not the passive solar design.

You can use solar energy to do many things. Such as:

• Heat up your home using passive solar designs
• Generate your own electricity
• Even heat up the water in your swimming pool

The simplest and easiest way to use solar energy today is to line dry your clothes in the yard on on the balcony. You don’t need to invest thousands of dollars to start harvesting solar energy. Start today by lining your wet clothes up.

Solar water heating systems, which use liquids as heat-transfer fluids, need protection from freezing in climates where temperatures fall below 42ºF (6ºC).

Don’t rely on a collector’s and the piping’s (collector loop’s) insulation to keep them from freezing. The main purpose of the insulation is to reduce heat loss and increase performance. For protecting the collector and piping from damage due to freezing temperatures, you basically have two options:

• Use an antifreeze solution as the heat-transfer fluid.
• Drain the collector(s) and piping (collector loop), either manually or automatically, when there’s a chance the temperature might drop below the liquid’s freezing point.

Source: EERE, US Department of Energy

Concentrating Solar Power’s (CSP) relatively low cost and ability to deliver power during periods of peak demand—when and where we need it—means it can be a major contributor to the nation’s future needs for distributed sources of energy. Large-scale concentrating solar power technologies include parabolic troughs and power towers.
There are more than 350 megawatts of parabolic trough systems connected to the electricity grid in southern California. Photo credit: Warren Gretz. Illustration: open domain.
Parabolic troughs have a proven track record as a technology that can function effectively for large-scale power needs. They currently provide the least expensive way to produce solar electricity. Parabolic-trough systems concentrate the sun’s energy through long rectangular, curved (U-shaped) reflectors. The reflectors are tilted toward the sun, focusing the sun’s energy on a pipe that runs down the center (focal point) of the trough. The sun’s energy heats oil flowing through the pipe, and the hot oil then is used to boil water in a conventional steam generator to produce electricity.

Power towers have also shown their efficiency in demonstration projects and one is in commercial operation in Spain, but they are not yet in use commercially in the United States. A power tower system uses a large field of reflectors to concentrate the sun’s energy onto the top of a tower, where it heats a receiver filled with a heat-exchange fluid, such as oil. The heated fluid is then used to generate electricity in a conventional steam generator. Systems using molten salt as the heat-exchange fluid retain heat very efficiently, enabling them to produce electricity up to three hours after the sun has set.

Source: EERE, U.S. Department of Energy

Solar power is the new old technology that people are using to help them save money. With the economy down and prices up, people are looking for new ways to save or even make money, which solar is a good option. With this, you can buy a pre build system that you piece together or you can make your own if you so inclined.

The savings on your electric bill can save you up to 100% of your bill if you get a large enough system. If you build a system that is bigger than you use, you can sell the power back to the electric company for a little bit of profit. This might vary state to state but most states are required to buy your power at market price.

The other plus of solar power is that you save the environment by using the natural power of the sun. If enough people use this way of power, we will all save a lot of money and cut down on carbon, and other emissions pumped into the air by power generation. So help yourself and the earth out and go green. Thank you and use solar power today.

Using passive solar design techniques to heat and cool your home can be both environmentally friendly and cost effective. Passive solar heating techniques include placing larger, insulated windows on south-facing walls and locating thermal mass, such as a concrete slab floor or a heat-absorbing wall, close to the windows. In many cases, your heating costs could be more than 50% lower than the cost of heating the same house that does not include passive solar design.

Passive solar design can also help reduce your cooling costs. Passive solar cooling techniques include carefully designed overhangs, windows with reflective coatings, and reflective coatings on exterior walls and the roof.

A passive solar house requires careful design and site orientation, which depend on the local climate. So, if you are considering passive solar design for new construction or a major remodeling, you should consult an architect familiar with passive solar techniques.

Solar Tips

• Keep all south-facing glass clean.
• Make sure that objects do not block the sunlight shining on concrete slab floors or heat-absorbing walls.

Source: EERE, US Department of Energy