The Sun is
the star at the center of the Solar System. Energy from the Sun,
in the form of sunlight, supports almost all life on Earth via
photosynthesis, and drives the Earth's climate and weather.
Solar comes from
sol which means sun in Latin.
Simple Solar
Distiller (something that might save you from dying of thirst
in the desert): Dig a hole in the ground, place a cup in the
bottom of the hole, and cover the hole with clear plastic. Put a small
stone in the center of the plastic, so that the condensed water vapor
drips into the cup. There is always some moisture in soil.
Solar Dehydrator
can be made
from two cardboard boxes, some clear plastic wrap, and a little tape.
Making a Solar Air
Heater can be as easy as
making a pipe from several aluminum soda cans and painting it black.
Lay several
"pipes" out into an open box, spray-paint them black, and cover the face
of the box with plastic or glass, leaving openings at the bottom of the
box (to let cool air in) and the top (to let warmed air out).This was designed by Dennis Fath of
H.D. Mechanical in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Check this out:
Soda Bottle Water Heater and Pasteurizer made from
everyday recyclables.
Sundials
to make and to learn the principles of
operation of using the sun to tell time. Click on the image.
Solar energy, the energy from the sun, comes in two forms:
1) heat
(or thermal energy) and
2) light.
Solar energy and solar power have a long
history of providing mankind with food, heat and light to modern electricity.
The diversity of form and long history of solar energy are manifest in a wide variety of applications.
Solar thermal
technologies uses the solar heat energy to heat substances
such as water or air. Here are some applications:
Purifying Water
By heating water, solar energy can be
used to purify water.
Harmful bacteria in water can be killed by bringing
the water's temperature up to 65 degrees Celsius (150 degrees
Fahrenheit) for a few minutes. A more complex method purifying water
is by solar distillation, the process of heating up water to
vaporization and accumulating water vapor in a cooler surfaces.
A solar distiller on
the beach of Baja, Mexico converts seawater into drinking water.
Heating Water for Washing
, Home Heating, Pool Heating
The simplest
of these types of solar collectors is black tubing filled with water
slowly circulating through it, absorbing solar radiation. Common are
many-tubed black plastic mats, often used for swimming pool heating.
Heating Air for
Drying
Long before the days of electric dryers,
solar energy has been used for getting moisture out of things such
as clothes, hair, food (meat, fruit and herbs), etc.
Heating Air for
Drying
Long before the days of electric dryers,
solar energy has been used for getting moisture out of things such
as clothes, hair, food (meat, fruit and
Heating,
Cooling and Ventillation
Solar energy helps to keep rooms in
homes and industries at a comfortable temperature throughout the day
and night. This is achieved through several ways.
A thermal mass is designed to store
heat during sunny periods and release when sunlight level are
reduced or unavailable.
A Trombe wall consist of an air
channel sandwiched between a window and a sun-facing thermal
mass. During the ventilation cycle sunlight stores heat in
the thermal mass and warms the air channel causing circulation
through vents at the top and bottom of the wall. During
the heating cycle, the Trombe wall radiates stored heat.
A transpired collector is a
perforated sun-facing wall. The wall absorbs sunlight and
pre-heats air as much as 22ºC as it is drawn into the
ventilation system. These systems are highly efficient (up
to 80%) and can pay for themselves within 3-12 years in offset
heating costs.
Solar cooling can be achieved via
absorption refrigeration cycles, desiccant cycles and solar
mechanical processes. IN 1878 Auguste Mouchout pioneered
solar cooling by making ice using a solar steam engine attached
to a refrigeration device.
A solar chimney, composed of a
hollow thermal mass connecting the inside and outside of a
building, have been in use since Roman times and are common in
the Middle East. Direct gain warms air inside the chimney
causing it to rise out the top and drawing air in from the
bottom. This drawing of air can be used to ventilate a
home or office, to draw air though a geothermal heat exchange,
or to ventilate only a specific area such as a composting
toilet.
Cool tower at Zion National Park's
Visitor Center provides cool air.
Sunlight
not only provides illumination throughout the day but can be captured
and converted to electricity (photovoltaics).
It is used in a variety of ways.
Cooking
Using only sunlight and no fuel or
firewood, solar cookers are the most environment-friendly way of
cooking, drying and pasteurization. The most common
designs are box cookers, concentrating cookers and panel cookers.
Photovoltaics
Solar cells or photovoltaic cells converts light into electricity.
Most common use of these cells would be the low-powered devices such
as calculators, recreation vehicles (RVs), small AM/FM radios and
flashlights/lamps. Photovoltaic or PV systems are used to provide
electricity to homes and business on-the-grid as well those
which can't be reached by conventional electrical grid. These
systems can power TV, video, telephony, and a range of refrigeration
systems. They can be used to pump water in remote areas
as part of a portable water supply system.
To Tell Time
As early as 3500 B.C., time has been measured by the position of the
sun. These devices are known as sundials. Below
are some pictures of sundials: a human sundial drawin by
Douglas Hunt, a brass portable sundial made Dublin in 1742 by
mathematical instrument maker Gabriel Stokes, and a digital sundial
drawn by Willy Leenders.
