Ways to use Solar Power for Heat

We have become accustomed to turning a dial or pushing a button in order to have heat. These ways are nice but they may be inconvenient as well.  Heating homes, schools or businesses with solar energy is not only easy but cost effective as well.  There are several ways that we can capture the sun’s heat even in winter times.  In order to capture the sun’s heat you need a solar source.  This source can be something that will attract the sun rays but trap the heat from it when it enters the source.  A good example is a sunroom.

These rooms are attached to a home or a building and are constructed of glass panels from the floor to the ceiling.  It is usually facing the morning sun in order to get the full affect of the heat. When the sun shines into the room the glass allows the sunrays heat the furniture and everything in the room.  These areas become the source that holds the heat in so that it will not escape back out of the glass.  This type of heating is natural and can be very efficient if it is constructed correctly.

Other forms of solar power heat are:

Thermal mass that absorbs and holds in the heat.  It traps and holds heat while the sun is shining and disperses the heat when the sun goes down.

Trombe Wall is a natural solar heating and ventilation system that uses air channels to hold the heat between a glass object and a thermal mass that is facing the sun.  The sunlight gets trapped and stored inside this wall and is then circulated though vents and the top and the bottom of the wall. The wall radiates the heat.

Transpired collector is also a wall that is used facing the sun.  The wall absorbs the sunlight and heats the air when it enters into the ventilation system.

Solar Cooling is a great way to ventilate a building.  It absorbs the solar heat and cools it making ice with a solar powered steam engine that is attached to a cooling device.

Solar Chimney is also a solar ventilation system.  It is made of a thermal mass that is hollow inside.  The chimney will warm the air inside the chimney and causing the heat to rise.  The rise allows the air to circulate and vent properly.

There are several ways that we can provide heating and cooling to our homes, businesses, buildings or other structures that need to be heated.  The ways listed above are by using all natural material that will pay off in the long run when you have heat using the sun and not an artificial heating source that may be produced by non-renewable resources.  We all need heat no matter what.  We need to find out what ways we can save the heat from the day to keep our house warm at night.  Not only does it work for heating but also cooling as well.