Tag Archives: Solar Power for Heat

Ways to use Natural Gas and Solar Power for Heat

Solar PowerThere are people who have natural gas in their homes and natural gas can be less expensive then electric service… especially when the power goes out. I know many people who use their natural gas stove to heat their homes. When the power goes out or when the power is shut off  for safety reasons such as natural wild fires that can get out of control, it is good to have natural gas to serve those who need to cook their meals and keep warm.

There have been laws enacted that prevent people from making choices about the way they choose to live.

Does it make sense for our homes and businesses to be all electric? Absolutely not! But that’s where many communities in America are headed. In Berkeley California, the City Council has voted to ban natural gas in all new low-rise residential buildings. This bad idea is spreading to other parts of the country. If it accelerates, the all electric contagion will have serious negative consequences for us all.

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 gas as well as solar energy is not only easy but cost effective as well.  Natural gas and solar energy can work together in our homes to give us the benefits and cost savings that we deserve to maintain our standard of living.

Take care that your solar installation is done properly

Solar Panels can be defective or installed incorrectly causing fire damage to your home.

Family’s £400,000 home wrecked by fire caused by faulty SOLAR panels

 

Firefighters: Solar panels are risky during fires

For those that choose solar
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.

Natural gas and solar energy can both be used within our homes to help reduce the cost of energy and to maintain the safety of our family when energy prices go up.