HETTY

Category: Solar Heating

  • A Home for the 21st century

    Write about your dream home.

    I’m not a home owner and never been a homeowner, and I prefer to rent. There’s advantages to renting. But if I could afford my dream home, it would be a modular home. Those interest me, what I know of them. The capacity to add on more square footage to a home, maybe one bedroom to start, and adding 2 or more bedrooms over time. The beds are comfortable memory foam.

    I would like the home to be energy independent and efficient, so I would add solar panels, solar heating, and battery storage. Also heat pumps depending on what region of the world I would live.

    I would like to have the property on at least 2 acres of land, with a garden to grow plants, vegetables, and maybe even egg laying chickens.

    To prepare for any potential emergencies, I would like to have an emergency shelter buried deep underground, with water filters and a storage of non perishable food that can be stored for several weeks, maybe up to a year.

    I would like a spacious living room with a decent entertainment center and comfortable seating, although I don’t need the state of the art with that. Just a game console or 2, and the ability to stream movies. But I prefer to have a fully equipped kitchen with a decent refrigerator and freezer. I or my potential spouse will try to cook more meals at home.

    It would be nice to live in a pleasant suburb near a large city, like Chicago, Las Vegas, or Boston. Maybe possibly in another country, since I’ve been traveling.

    I would like to have WIFI throughout the home, of course.

    A balcony and/or patio, with the ability to grill out if I wanted to. A fenced in backyard, and in a decent neighborhood. And this dream home probably already costs at least a million dollars in the US. It’s good to dream though.

  • Solar cooking and heating

    Solar cooking and heating


    Creating an efficient, low-cost solar oven and exploring other solar heating methods can be both an eco-friendly and budget-friendly way to harness the sun’s energy. Here’s a simple guide to making your own solar oven along with some alternative solar heating ideas:

    ### How to Make an Efficient Low-Cost Solar Oven

    **Materials Needed:**
    – Cardboard box (pizza box or similar)
    – Aluminum foil
    – Clear plastic wrap or a transparent plastic bag
    – Black construction paper or non-toxic black paint
    – Tape and scissors
    – Newspaper or other insulating material

    **Steps:**
    1. **Prepare the Box:** If using a pizza box, cut a flap on the lid by slicing along three sides, leaving one side attached to act as a hinge.


    2. **Line with Aluminum Foil:** Cover the inner side of the flap with aluminum foil, shiny side out, securing it with tape. This will reflect sunlight into the box.


    3. **Create the Oven Interior:** Line the bottom of the box with black paper or paint it black to absorb heat efficiently.


    4. **Insulate the Oven:** Crumple newspaper and place it around the black base inside the box to insulate and retain heat.


    5. **Seal with Plastic:** Stretch clear plastic wrap tightly over the opening of the box (under the foil flap) to create a greenhouse effect, trapping heat inside.


    6. **Positioning:** Place your solar oven in direct sunlight, angle the foil flap to reflect maximum sunlight into the box, and place your food inside on a small plate.


    7. **Cooking:** Cooking times will vary; simple items like s’mores, nachos, or small vegetables can cook in 30 minutes to a couple of hours depending on sunlight intensity.

    ### Other Solar Heating Methods

    – **Solar Water Heater:** Use black-painted containers or tubes exposed to the sun to heat water. Insulate them properly to retain heat.


    – **Solar Air Heater:** Construct a box with a transparent front and dark interior to warm air, which can then be circulated indoors with a fan.


    – **Solar Thermal Collectors:** More advanced setups use panels to collect and transfer solar heat for home heating or water heating.


    – **Passive Solar Design:** Incorporate architectural features such as south-facing windows, thermal mass (like concrete or stone floors), and proper insulation to naturally heat living spaces.

    Harnessing solar energy for cooking and heating not only reduces reliance on fossil fuels but also saves money and promotes sustainable living. Give these methods a try and enjoy the warmth of the sun in a practical, green way!   ~H