Comments on: DIY solar panels, Part I http://www.catskillhouse.us/blog/diy-solar-panels-part-i/ Home improvement with an eye toward sustainability Tue, 15 May 2012 12:39:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: mark kiernan http://www.catskillhouse.us/blog/diy-solar-panels-part-i/#comment-662 mark kiernan Sun, 24 Oct 2010 18:55:39 +0000 http://www.catskillhouse.us/blog/?p=807#comment-662 i find anything thats saves money to be great, i am working on building one of these soda can heaters and then putting a step by step instruction on my web site for all to see and use. I am gathering all the parts needed to build one and i am looking for a snap disc at the minute to make the system automatic but i am figuring out how to store some of the heat for night use with a small fan. i am going to build one and post a break down of cost for all to see and what parts were used. It needs to be real cheap so all can build one if interested. the concept is great and there are many people on you tube that have built them. thanks, mark. i find anything thats saves money to be great, i am working on building one of these soda can heaters and then putting a step by step instruction on my web site for all to see and use.
I am gathering all the parts needed to build one and i am looking for a snap disc at the minute to make the system automatic but i am figuring out how to store some of the heat for night use with a small fan.
i am going to build one and post a break down of cost for all to see and what parts were used.
It needs to be real cheap so all can build one if interested.
the concept is great and there are many people on you tube that have built them.
thanks,
mark.

]]> By: winckel http://www.catskillhouse.us/blog/diy-solar-panels-part-i/#comment-661 winckel Tue, 29 Sep 2009 09:00:54 +0000 http://www.catskillhouse.us/blog/?p=807#comment-661 hy good idea did you have some pictures from you panel thanks eric from france hy
good idea
did you have some pictures from you panel

thanks

eric from france

]]> By: solar panel Morgane http://www.catskillhouse.us/blog/diy-solar-panels-part-i/#comment-660 solar panel Morgane Fri, 11 Sep 2009 01:32:49 +0000 http://www.catskillhouse.us/blog/?p=807#comment-660 Solar panels provide clean and renewable energy. I use one, and I'm really happy with it. Solar panels provide clean and renewable energy. I use one, and I’m really happy with it.

]]> By: Solar Box Window Heater | Home Construction Improvement http://www.catskillhouse.us/blog/diy-solar-panels-part-i/#comment-659 Solar Box Window Heater | Home Construction Improvement Thu, 12 Feb 2009 01:44:29 +0000 http://www.catskillhouse.us/blog/?p=807#comment-659 [...] you found this interesting you may also like DIY Solar Panels. Tags: home improvement, home improvement blog, energy efficiency, green building, solar, solar [...] [...] you found this interesting you may also like DIY Solar Panels. Tags: home improvement, home improvement blog, energy efficiency, green building, solar, solar [...]

]]> By: Perry P. http://www.catskillhouse.us/blog/diy-solar-panels-part-i/#comment-658 Perry P. Wed, 26 Nov 2008 21:03:59 +0000 http://www.catskillhouse.us/blog/?p=807#comment-658 Paul: Sorry, I misread your article initially and thought it pertained to a water-heating device. Do you have any thoughts as to whether your aluminum can collectors would be helpful in a water-heating system constructed by running inexpensive black poly tubing transversely through the cans near convex end, and also between cans, with a black absorptive background? I just picked up a cheap traditional solar thermal panel which has rows of thin copper pipe against a black plastic background panel covered by a somewhat translucent surface plastic panel, and your cans would seem to be an improvement. Any idea how much better are your cans at capturing solar heat than a flat surface (at a fixed location during the winter season in North America?) Thanks. Perry Paul: Sorry, I misread your article initially and thought it pertained to a water-heating device. Do you have any thoughts as to whether your aluminum can collectors would be helpful in a water-heating system constructed by running inexpensive black poly tubing transversely through the cans near convex end, and also between cans, with a black absorptive background? I just picked up a cheap traditional solar thermal panel which has rows of thin copper pipe against a black plastic background panel covered by a somewhat translucent surface plastic panel, and your cans would seem to be an improvement. Any idea how much better are your cans at capturing solar heat than a flat surface (at a fixed location during the winter season in North America?) Thanks.

Perry

]]> By: David Burkhart http://www.catskillhouse.us/blog/diy-solar-panels-part-i/#comment-657 David Burkhart Wed, 22 Oct 2008 02:19:31 +0000 http://www.catskillhouse.us/blog/?p=807#comment-657 I believe I can get a few photos from my folks this weekend and will attempt to either post them, or will post them on a website I have running for another subject. The use of Glauber's Salt was recently recommended by dad, though I am unsure of the storage vessel, etc. This solid salt turns to a liquid at 90-110 degrees F and is the most efficient of storage mediums for air-convection-type systems. I believe I can get a few photos from my folks this weekend and will attempt to either post them, or will post them on a website I have running for another subject.
The use of Glauber’s Salt was recently recommended by dad, though I am unsure of the storage vessel, etc. This solid salt turns to a liquid at 90-110 degrees F and is the most efficient of storage mediums for air-convection-type systems.

]]> By: Jennifer http://www.catskillhouse.us/blog/diy-solar-panels-part-i/#comment-656 Jennifer Fri, 10 Oct 2008 22:16:16 +0000 http://www.catskillhouse.us/blog/?p=807#comment-656 Very interesting! Very interesting indeed. I'm going to follow this closely... and perhaps USE it! Very interesting! Very interesting indeed. I’m going to follow this closely… and perhaps USE it!

]]> By: Paul http://www.catskillhouse.us/blog/diy-solar-panels-part-i/#comment-655 Paul Wed, 08 Oct 2008 13:16:15 +0000 http://www.catskillhouse.us/blog/?p=807#comment-655 Dave, Thanks for the feedback. Your story of your father and his church is great, I enjoy hearing things like that. It seems to me like it is a good design. I was reading about honeycomb absorber plates and I also read an article in Mother Earth News about using soda cans for solar collectors. Most people simply stack the cans on end and blow air through them. I am getting ready to post part II this week. I am going to follow up with some performance data once I get the panels mounted. Dave,
Thanks for the feedback. Your story of your father and his church is great, I enjoy hearing things like that.

It seems to me like it is a good design. I was reading about honeycomb absorber plates and I also read an article in Mother Earth News about using soda cans for solar collectors. Most people simply stack the cans on end and blow air through them.

I am getting ready to post part II this week. I am going to follow up with some performance data once I get the panels mounted.

]]> By: David Burkhart http://www.catskillhouse.us/blog/diy-solar-panels-part-i/#comment-654 David Burkhart Wed, 08 Oct 2008 04:25:54 +0000 http://www.catskillhouse.us/blog/?p=807#comment-654 Paul, This concept is an excellent one that I assisted my father in building in the mid 1970's. The pitch of the panel angle was matched for the coldest of months in Ohio (February- based on a 40 degree Lat.), and was built with a triangular matched angle back. Inside, cement blocks, painted flat black to seal the porous surfaces were strategically stacked to 'fill' the entire enclosure. This provided an average 40% cost savings to the church, of which he was pastor for nearly 40 years. New pastor tore it down last year. With the price of NG this year, he will undoubtedly wish for that free energy again. As F.G. would say, "Stupid is, as Stupid does"...lol. Funny thing is, my dad wasn't a tree-hugger, but is the most conservative of men, and still lives it through leadership and example. We picked up aluminum beer cans from the ditches in the early 70's to raise money for a new church building. The best cans (12 oz.) were cut off one-third of the way from the bottom, as this gave us the highest output of BTUs. per sq. ft. I plan to build a few of these collectors this fall, as I want to heat the garage, and may use for a way to add heat through basement windows. I will post some pics of old solar collector and new ones as we proceed. Paul,
This concept is an excellent one that I assisted my father in building in the mid 1970′s. The pitch of the panel angle was matched for the coldest of months in Ohio (February- based on a 40 degree Lat.), and was built with a triangular matched angle back. Inside, cement blocks, painted flat black to seal the porous surfaces were strategically stacked to ‘fill’ the entire enclosure. This provided an average 40% cost savings to the church, of which he was pastor for nearly 40 years. New pastor tore it down last year. With the price of NG this year, he will undoubtedly wish for that free energy again. As F.G. would say, “Stupid is, as Stupid does”…lol. Funny thing is, my dad wasn’t a tree-hugger, but is the most conservative of men, and still lives it through leadership and example. We picked up aluminum beer cans from the ditches in the early 70′s to raise money for a new church building. The best cans (12 oz.) were cut off one-third of the way from the bottom, as this gave us the highest output of BTUs. per sq. ft. I plan to build a few of these collectors this fall, as I want to heat the garage, and may use for a way to add heat through basement windows. I will post some pics of old solar collector and new ones as we proceed.

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