Spilyay Tymoo
January 14,1982 Page 11
93 million miles away—
Sun’s energy can heat your home
by Marsha Shewczyk
One of the natural features of
the Warm Springs area is the
abundance of sunshine. Kah-
Nee-Ta advertizes 340 days of
sunshine each year, enough to
meet vacationer’s dreams. Even
in cold winter months the sun’s
rays shine down on this part of
the country.
All of this sunshine need
not go to waste. Even though
93 million miles away the sun’s
rays can be converted into a
useful energy source which will
cut down energy bills and at the
same time increase harmony
with the environment.
Rather than existing as a
consumer of energy, a building
can be made to be a producer of
energy. Solar energy is safe and
it is available.
Research into solar energy is
increasing. Homeowners are
asked and are oftentimes
interested in participating in
this research particu larly
because of the “energy crunch.”
Both the federal and state
governments offer a tax credit
for those interested in cutting
normal energy consumption by
the installation of energy
saving devices including solar
heating systems. The tax credit
is available to homeowners
who simply want to add solar
collecting panels to their
rooftop or for those who want
an entire heating system built
right into the structure of their
home.
(N) Always Have A Charge
In Your Flashlight
An emergency solar flashlight that re
charges with sun power. Mount the
detachable solar cell array to your car's
dashboard or windowsill to recharge.
Includes NiCd batteries. 7’A” long. 12 oz.
Solar Flashlight
No. 61,102
$29.95
A forty percent federal tax
credit for up to $10,000 in a
system’s cost is augmented by a
25 percent tax credit for up to
$4,000 dollars of the cost.
Oregon’s tax credit tax also
applies to passive applications
like greenhouses and heat
storage. And there are also tax
credits available for commer
cial and industrial applications.
Solar energy may be no more
com plex than well-placed
windows to admit sunlight and
a masonry floor to retain the
heat. A carefully planned house
has the potential to receive up
to 100 percent of its warmth
from the sun. Houses on the
average consume one-fifth of
America’s energy, mostly due
to bad planning and poor
insulation.
A house with good solar
orientation will take advantage
of both the daily and the yearly
cycles of the sun. In winter,
when heat is needed, the sun is
low in the southern sky. In
summer the sun’s rays come
from high overhead and from
the east and west. If properly
o rie n te d th e hou se will
m in im iz e th e s o u th e r n
exposure and minimize the
east-west exposure.
The basic idea is to face
windows and collectors to the
south to obtain winter heat and
avoid summer overheating.
Precision is not crucial,
although direction should be
within 25 degrees of true south.
All solar heating systems
share the same objectives—to
collect the sun’s heat, to store
that heat and to distribute it
when and where it is needed
while avoiding underheating
and overheating.
There are two distinct
approaches to the solar heating
of buildings, active and passive.
Active systems use hardware
and mechanical equipment to
collect and transport heat. A
collector mounted on thè roof
of a house indicates an active
system in use. Water or air
pumped through the collector
absorbs heat and transports it
to a storage unit. The heat in
the storage unit heats space in
a building by a completely
m e c h a n ic a l d i s t r i b u t i o n
system.
Passive systems, on the other
hand, collect and transport
heat by non-mechanical means. Solar panels collect heat to warm this Warm Springs home's water
T he th e rm a l e n e rg y is
distributed by natural means
such as radiation, conduction receive theTow winter sun but
and natural convection., The protected with overhangs to
passive system operates on block the high summer sun.
available energy while the
Other means of collecting
active system uses electricity or vary from the use of reflectors,
other energy sources to power stone or masonry slabs to
fans and pumps which make retain heat, a water wall to a
the system work.
roof pond where plastic bags
containing water are heated
Active Solar Systems
daily releasing the heat into the
house at night.
Most of. the emphasis in
Technology in solar heating
homes is' on active solar expands continously. It is an
systems. The advantages of an infant industry. The cost is still
active solar system are several: high for 100 percent house
They can achieve hotter and heating. But water heating
more useful temperatures than systems are abundant and
passive systems; Less collection inexpensive. According to
area is needed: They may be Tom Blaskrod, proprietor of
easier to install usefully on Heaven’s Heating Unlimited in
existing buildings; and, the Bend, Oregon the cost of an
systems do not require the active system consisting of 2-
careful balancing necessary for 4X8 panels to heat water for a
natural passive heat distribu family of four is $3195
tion and storage.
completely installed.
The collector, often seen on
Norma Gerardo of Bend
housetops, for the more who recently had two such
popular active solar heating panels installed expects a 25
sy stem s c o n s is ts of an p erc e n t savings on her
absorbing surface made of electricity bill. The solar
metal, rubber or plastic and a collector perched on her
layer of galss or plastic to modular home will heat 82
reduce heat loss. The panels are gallons of water. She says,
painted black for a higher rate “running out of hot water is the
of absorption.
number one problem in mobile
The active solar system can homes.” She has enough water
be either an air or water system. now to do laundry and the
Large amounts of air must be day’s chores.
removed in the air system
Her greatest incentive for
which consumes a lot of purchasing such a system was
electricity and is noisy as saving money on her utility bill
compared to the water system as well as the generous tax When the day is cool and overcast coils located next to a wood
where pumps drive the liquid credit allowed here. She says, burning stove can provide heat needed to warm a home's water
through the system. The liquid “Anything done in preparation
system can supply hot water all for installing the system is
year around, installation is less included in the tax credit says, “It is not cost-effective put in the car windown during
cumbersome and the collectors determination.” Along with the now. It takes too long to the day will receive enough
are, so far, more efficient.
solar panels she had heating recover the initial investment.” charge to operate a flashlight.
Preventive maintenance is coils installed behind her wood
Yaw says, “We’re following
Watches and music boxes
necessary in the active water stove to supplement the system. it very closely. Eventually are also available which run on
system to prevent freezing and The complete cost including solar energy will be a real solar energy. The potential for
corrosion. Anti-freeze may be installation was $3900 through resource for heating. A more solar energy seems boundless.
used instead of water with the a Bend company.
effective collector will probably “The demand is increasing
addition of heat exchanger.
It is important, of course, to come about.”
e v e r y d a y , ” c o m m e n te d
As far as use in Warm Heaven’s Heating proprietor
find a reputable dealer. The
Passive solar system
solar industry is in its infant Springs Yaw expresses his Flaskenrod.
stage. There are those who are opinion by saying, “I don’t
Solar system is at its simplest in the business to make a quick know how effective solar
United States citizens and
in the passive solar heating dollar and those who sincerely heating is here, no one knows. businesses consume 30 percent
system. It is silent and believe in their product and will We need to get contractors to o f th e w o r ld ’s e n e rg y .
au to m atic dem anding no back it up.
get involved in it.”
C onservation is necessary
e x p e n s iv e o r c o m p le x
Solar energy can provide along with developing new
With solar heating still in
e q u ip m e n t. The system s research, stages it may not be more than just heat for a house. energy sources to meeting
require very careful design to cost-effective to install any type With the use of photoelectric grow ing d e m a n d s. S o la r
avoid overheating and to of system. According to a cells solar rays can provide energy may be the answer. The
distribute air evenly.
NASA study the installation of e n e r g y w h ic h m ay be energy in the sunlight falling on
Careful place and design of a solar energy system will pay converted into electricity. the United States in one day is
windows are important in the for itself in four to ten years. Currently on the market are equivalent to the amount of
passive system because they are Large scale solar heating is still small solar collectors to energy the United States
the most direct solar collectors. expensive. W arm Springs recharge a car battery and a consumers use in one year.
They should be placed to contracting officer Les Yaw very small collector which if Shouldn’t this be utilized?