Build a Solar Space Heater
Retired Aircraft Engineer Gary Reysa has published plans on how to build your own solar heating system. Complete plans and instructions are available online including detailed information about how the systems operates, how it performs and what costs are involved. The plans are complete with a list of necessary materials and some helpful construction tips on how to build and modify the project according to your home heating needs. The instructions detail how to assess your home’s needs in order to determine what size solar panels your home will require.
YouTube: Clean Power Solar Heater
Gary walks us through the building process by using his own solar barn project as an example. Gary was able to complete his project for only $350USD, using parts exclusive to his local hardware store. He further minimized costs by integrating the solar panels into his building structure using available materials.
Gary is quick to warn that the benefits of solar heating can not be utilized unless the home or building has adequate insulation. Solar energy will not perform well if there is a draft in the house. He recommends planning and installing the solar systems in new building sites in order to maximize the economic benefits. Although a propane heater would have cost a bit less than building the solar collector, paying $2 per gallon for propane over our five-month heating season would have cost $300 to $400 per year. The simple payback period of the collector is a year or two on materials cost. I haven’t needed a backup heater, which is an additional savings.
Gary’s website is BuildItSolar.com. The site is colourful, easy to navigate and contains many great resources for anyone interested in building their own home energy projects. Visit the following pages for more information:
Why solar energy projects make sense
A detailed explanation of the benefits of solar energy.
Solar Site Survey
Information to help assess your site. Does your location get enough sun? Do nearby obstacles (trees, buildings, etc.,) at your location block too much sun?
Solar Project Plans
Over 500 solar projects are listed here and including stories, diagrams and blueprints, photos, examples and a section devoted to experimental solar technology.
Source: www.BuildItSolar.com
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January 3rd, 2007
Great article and links. If I were a bit more confident on cutting holes into the home for the vents this setup would pay for itself in 3 winter months.
November 1st, 2007
Was the majority of the $350 cost due to the solar panel to power the fan? I would think that the total cost of the fan, the wood, and the duct would be about $100. Perhaps powering the fan electrically on a timer during peak sun hours would cost even less to build, and save even more money during the first year of running it?
June 5th, 2009
As the best solar panels in the world only take in around 25% of the energy and make use of it, this is a long winded way. Maybe wait until the technology gets better.
August 13th, 2009
If you wait, it may be too late! NOW is the time to move into using renewable energy, with the best tax incentives available & affordable oil in the shadow of us all! The cost of panels is down now & when the oil price gets higher, so will the cost of the solar panels, if they can even manufacture them!
August 28th, 2009
Wouldn’t it make more sense to connect the intake hole to an opening inside of the trailer? By doing this, the cold air inside the trailer gets recycled through solar panel and back inside. It just might raise the inside temperature much more quicker.
September 9th, 2009
Hi,
Just to address some of issues in comments above.
- The collector has no fan, no controller. Its a thermosyphon collector — the lower density of the heated air makes it rise up out of the exit vent, which pulls cool air into the inlet vent. The $350 was all for the materials to build it — this is a large collector — about 160 sq ft, so this is just a bit over $2 per sq ft of collector — almost free compared to $30 a sq ft commercial panels.
- Solar thermal collectors are much more efficient that solar electric panels. Efficiency depends on the sun and out side temperature, but 60% efficiency might be a good average. Payback is very short for this kind of collector.
Gary
October 7th, 2009
Cheesiest most hillbilly looking design I ever saw. No reputable engineer would make a platform that silly, let alone spend $350 to do it.
October 15th, 2009
Interesting, I happened to build something like this as an experiment.
I took a 4′x4′ piece of scrap plywood, spray painted it black. I screwed scrap 2×4’s around the perimeter to make a box about 3″ thick. I bought a $2.99 pack of window film and stapled it on the box. I put a 3 inch hole at the bottom and the top.
I laid the box up against a stone wall angling it towards the sun. Then I went to go get a thermometer (I had a digital one). So not to get direct sunlight on the thermometer probe, I put a piece of insulation over the probe. This was I was sure to read the true temperature of the air coming out of the top vent hole.
Well within a minute, the temperature of the air coming out had pegged the thermometer at it’s max of 130 degrees. So then I got my meat thermometer that I use for grilling, and the temperature read 160 degrees. There was a bit of an air flow coming out of the hole, so I know I was getting the hot air to rise, being replaced by cool air at the bottom.
So, the concept works. I haven’t done anything with it though.