| Oil is over $100 a barrel and the sun is still free. | | | | metal or black plastic covered with small |
| Despite the efforts of the politico-industrial | | | | ventilation holes; this is not high tech it's just |
| complex to ensure we only buy our over-priced | | | | fabulous tech. The collector heats up in the sun, |
| energy from approved sources, economic | | | | cold air circulates through and soaks up that heat, |
| pressure from individual homeowners will force a | | | | delivering clean energy to your living room. By the |
| move to "free" sources of energy. | | | | way, you're drawing in fresh outside air. These |
| The issue to date with most solar heating | | | | modern, air-tight homes are killing all of us. Has no |
| implementations is that the capital cost to redirect | | | | one noticed that the incidence of toxic mold has |
| all those free photons into your home required | | | | gone up 3000 percent since "air-tight" homes |
| payback periods of 10, 15, or 30 years. Only the | | | | started being built? They should be called |
| most pioneering of families are willing to bet on a | | | | disease-in-a-box homes; but I digress. |
| 30-year payback with technology that is | | | | Transpiration collectors are extremely cheap |
| improving every five days. | | | | because they are designed to run at low |
| Transpiration solar air heaters can lower the | | | | temperatures and require no glass covers and no |
| payback period to the point where people will | | | | insulation. They circulate air, not water, so they |
| drive their pickups to the home supply store in | | | | have no freezing problems and little maintenance. |
| the morning and start saving money by the | | | | You can use your existing furnace ductwork and |
| afternoon-on a clear day you can see the future | | | | just pipe warm air into the house or use it to |
| and the economics are pretty clear. | | | | pump heat into the basement; which lowers the |
| Fuel oil delivers about 139,000 BTU's per gallon at | | | | cost of keeping the entire house warm and |
| $2.95 a gallon; with prices rising fast. One BTU is | | | | operates as a giant solar storage repository at |
| enough heat to raise the temperature of a pound | | | | nearly zero incremental cost. |
| of water by 1 degree in one hour. An average | | | | 100 square feet of transpiration solar collectors |
| sized house in the Midwest needs around 80 million | | | | would deliver 180,000 BTU's per day or |
| BTU's to keep the occupants comfortable through | | | | 32,400,000 BTU's over the six-month heating |
| the winter. Those 80 million BTU's come from | | | | season. That would eliminate 233 gallons of fuel oil |
| burning 575 gallons of fuel oil at a cost of $1,697. | | | | and throw $687 dollars back into your mad |
| That's your money going up in smoke. The | | | | money jar to do something mad with-Vegas |
| heating season is about six months so let's | | | | anybody? These systems are cheap and simple |
| assume you'll need 18,000 BTU's an hour as an | | | | so they should last 20 years. Now you've got |
| average (the peak load would be much higher of | | | | $13,740 in your mad money jar-can you say, High |
| course). | | | | Roller, baby? |
| The sun provides around 450 BTU per hour per | | | | That savings assumes fuel oil is going to stay |
| shiny square foot. Assuming 50% efficiency in the | | | | $2.95 a gallon for the next 20 years. Let's be |
| solar collector you would capture 225 BTU/ft2/hr | | | | realistic, fuel oil is going to be more expensive |
| or 1,800 BTU/ft2/day. The most economical | | | | than a college education in 20 years. Our kids are |
| application for solar energy is baseline | | | | all going to work for Saudi Princes, shoveling their |
| heating-provide a slow and steady improvement | | | | gold coins around, and we're going to be thankful |
| by raising cool air to lukewarm air, burn the oil | | | | when we can turn the thermostat up to 45 |
| only to fight off the arctic blasts. | | | | degrees and thaw out the toilets. |
| So, let's save some money. | | | | Start checking it out. If you can't find 100 square |
| Transpiration solar collectors provide low | | | | feet of transpiration solar collectors for less than |
| temperature air (80-110 degrees F) by pulling in | | | | $687 dollars I'll send you free plans and loan you |
| fresh outside air and heating it on the way into | | | | my staple gun (just kidding about the staple gun |
| your home. These collectors are simple sheets of | | | | go buy one with your Vegas winnings). |