How can I make solar energy work cheaply-can I rig up a device to provide energy for electrical appliances?
Question:
Answer:
The cheapest PRACTICAL way of using solar energy at home is to make a solar cooker.
This is not a solar 'oven' with a big lens or mirror that broils things, it is a box painted black that gets hot as it sits out in the sun the same way your car does. They only cost a few bucks to make and they WORK! I made one and it works!
You will need two cardboard boxes that fit inside each other, some black paint, aluminum foil, glue or tape and a plastic oven- roasting bag like for a Thanksgiving turkey.
It is a slow cooker. You can't burn anything in it, because it only gets up to about 320 degrees F. in it. The beauty of it is that it saves you energy (and money) two ways: first, you don't need to run your stove on a sunny day to cook. Second, you don't need to run your air conditioning extra because you didn't heat up the house with the stove on!
Search on solar cookers. You will find sites with plans and step by step directions. Have fun!
PS. Beckee, I have to admit, your idea is the cheapest and the easiest. I forgot!
One of the cheapest and most efficient ways to harness solar energy is to dry your clothes on the line. You don't need to convert it to electricity, and you don't have to heat up your house with an electric dryer and cool it off with fans or air conditioning.
That reminds me, time to get my clothes off the solar clothes dryer!
The aluminum cans in water is one way to heat water for showers or the likes. To produce electricity, you'll need solar panels. As of yet, they are not cheap. Many cabins in the mountains are run solely off solar, but run upwards from $20,000 for the equipment to do it right.
some houses are equipt with solar water heaters that mont on your roof if you have 3mil you can by a wind genrator best part is what you dont youse you can sell to the power compny
More Questions & Answers...