Closet door mirrors for solar heating

[WinterWoodlands]

This is a great idea. Or, using mirrors on north side to reflect light onto corresponding solar furnaces also on north side. See-saw mounting of the mirror/furnace pair and azimuth tracking would be a challenge, but it is entirely mechanical and simple math for azimuth/elevation tracking of the sun. Even on south side of home, mirrors could be used in like fashion to multiply sunlight into solar furnaces. Never tried it myself, just thinking out loud. Appreciate the video very much.

[junkyardnut]

@WinterWoodlands mirrors are much better than standing in front of searing fire or woodstove (too hot) Standing in front of at least 4X concentration of reflected sunlight ( 4 mirrors hitting at you) is nirvana!! It is so natural and relaxing! Of course I have to run outdoors to readjust the mirrrors every half hour or so.

[WinterWoodlands]

@junkyardnut I see what you mean. I mean, I have seen videos of people cooking food with nothing more than some reflectors. Why not just expand on that concept for the home. Running out to readjust the mirrors must be a pain. Gotta be some way to set them up on some gears so you can adjust them simply by pulling on ropes in or near the house. Mirror frames simply click into place every 3 degrees of azimuth or elevation or whatever.

[junkyardnut]

@WinterWoodlands what I really need is a ball and socket assembly like ram mounts you use to mount your gps or cellphone. or like the rear view mirror in your windshield but bigger and able to hold a stiff board. I cannot find any big ball socket except those ball joints used in automoibles steering, you know. It has limited movement only 20 degrees or so. Also I cannot find any lightweight stiff boards able to stay stiff wihtout warping like plywood boards under the weather, you know.?

[WinterWoodlands]

@junkyardnut Yes I know what you mean. Gotta think about that a bit, how many degrees of rotation do you need each way? Depend on your latitude and longitude I imagine?

[RU4BN8OUT]

What about directing the light into windows? That way you don't have to worry about siding and insulation. Just a thought?

[junkyardnut]

@RU4BN8OUT yeah that was what I did! I have a large sliding glass door. I have different mirrors now. I need suntracking device similiar to those used for the solar tower to point the sunlight through my windows and glassdoors constantly as if my window is the tower.

[HamiltonCountyBotany]

lastly..your reflection will arch across the house wall like the sun archs across the sky...if you want to get precise you could add a second axis of tilt to your mirrors frame and use another antenna motor to move them up or down..but hitting the side of a house would not require that level of precision.

[HamiltonCountyBotany]

ran out of room--if your house is South of your mirrors, when the sun comes up E, your mirrors would point SE. The rays come in at 45 degrees angle to mirrors from E and leave at 135 degrees ( 90 d angle) from mirrors hitting the house ,so u program the motor to point the mirrors at SE at 6am and S at high noon and SW at 7pm..a deluxe tv antenna motor has multiple settings and remote control.got it?

[HamiltonCountyBotany]

my set up is different than you trying to hit your house because both my target and my mirrors move together..but it would work for you as well...in your case you mount your mirrors on a frame, in the center of the frame is a swivel..think of a wind turbine...with sunlight "the angle of reflection is equal to the angle of incidence..if u use a tv antenna motor you can program the frame to move to certain points at certain times and hit the house all day. ie sun in E mirrors SE,sun W,mirrors SW.

[HamiltonCountyBotany]

I've been testing heliostats quite a bit. What meawins13 doesnt realize is heat travels to from hot to cold. And even tho it is a high heat waste loss to outside air, it is a fact that even if your house wall is insulated, that insulation is not 100% effective and depending on the strength/area of sun reflected by the heliostat a percentage will radiate into the house thru the wall if the wall temperature exceeds the inside room temperature..

[junkyardnut]

@HamiltonCountyBotany most of insulation installed in buildings are sloppily done becuae the cavity inside the wall where insulation is installed must be air tight for the insulation to perform at its maximum.. You will be surprised to see plenty of air draft coming into the wall cavities from outside due to cracks in stucco or loose nails on wooden sidings, etc.. We should caulk the edges of the siding boards as wellas drywall sheets when assembled.. Carpenters are too hurried for that...

[HamiltonCountyBotany]

@junkyardnut exactly what i was saying. I am currently building a combo Heliostatic Solar Tracking Air heater using off the shelf parts . For fun today i tested the parts uninsulated and not even assembled, just layed together- outside temp 60F -passive air flow temp 200F..i believe any temp above 140F-160F( forced air) would beat a popcan heater. They use a computer fan or fans, I am using a gas water heater blower fan.

[junkyardnut]

@HamiltonCountyBotany are you able to keep the reflected sunlight tracked to same spot while the Sun moves? If so , how did you do that? I would like to know

I basically do it manually every hour or so ...

[meawins13]

Sorry, but what you say in your comments during video, can't work. Heating the siding on your house is useless unless you remove the insulation under it!! and if you do that, you'll get very cold at night. also, where i live, the angle of the sun in the winter is so low i would have to elevate the mirrors almost as high as my roof. i do believe the neighbors would be a little miffed at me for blocking their southern exposure.

[junkyardnut]

@meawins13 you must be living in Alaska or what? Firewood really pollutes air and there is already too many of us living on Earth ... We are trying to conserve fossil fuel and electricity so that you up in Alaska can have some.. Try to avoid using firewood which is not good for the air !! Smoke soot paritculates!!! very bad no matter how cold it is up there.. use clean electricity or natural gas.. Firewood hought to be banned except for ceremonical uses..

[junkyardnut]

@meawins13 The insulation will be heated by the sunlight going through the siding in case you are wondering.... Placing a film of heavy duty plastic over the siding will trap additional heat and heat even more. Just get furring strips to frame out for the plastic covering then seal around it . One or twoof your windows can be covered uncer the plastic film and you can add a small fan to circulate air throughout the film body. The possibilites is so broad that your imagination can fly!

[junkyardnut]

@meawins13 When it comes to solar energy, everybody is infataturated with watts not Btus... Why we left out Btus as solar energy units , I will never understand... Converting solar energy into watts is the worst solar invention !!! Solar energy is most ideal as a direct heat source that can be manipulated in limitless ways... The American industries simply put solar energy in a box and keep it there intellectually sealed in. We can free solar energy but we never bothered to..

[junkyardnut]

@meawins13 I can prove to you that sunlight hitting the outside siding do make a difference.. You can try turn off your thermostat all night . Thenext day you will feel warmer close to the southern sides than the northern sides.. Now you put mirrors to bounce sunlight back against the northern sidings.. Youwill feel as warm on both ends. YOu will be amazed!

[junkyardnut]

@meawins13 I can prove to you that sunlight hitting the outside siding do make a difference.. You can try turn off your thermostat all night . Thenext day you will feel warmer close to the southern sides than the northern sides.. Now you put mirrors to bounce sunlight back against the northern sidings.. Youwill feel as warm on both ends. YOu will be amazed! I had done this .. I know now..

[TygerCub]

Don't forget many people live in neighborhoods ruled by home owner's associations that govern what can and can not be put on their homes. Not to mention city ordinance laws. Not everyone can do this without incurring heavy fines.

That being said, I think the solution proposed here is elegant and inexpensive for those who can utilize alternative energy. The more alternatives we have as a individuals, the better we are as a society.

[swjslj]

I don't have room on the north side of my property for mirrors but, I've considered putting large mirrors on the south or east side to reflect additional sunlight through my windows to heat the house in the winter.

[junkyardnut]

@swjslj Well , good for you, you can also put mirrors over skylights if you have any... What ?? nob ody thought of that... my , m y!!!

[53Aubergine]

Watch IKEA for cheap mirrors!



[DCVU2]

There is a reflective material called mylar. It is the most heat reflective material made. You might see it on the inside of a bag of chips. It is also available as an emergency blanket, 52 inches by 82.5 inches, at walmart in the camping section for under 3 bucks. I put this on my south facing windows, and felt a difference instantly. During the day you can see through it like car window tint.. I want to make a heavy duty tarp of this stuff to cover the roof in the summer...any ideas?

[junkyardnut]

@DCVU2 It is ok to fool around with mylar or foil or mirror we can find lying around, but this is what solar energy is supposed to be .. not photovoltaics. mirrors, parabolics , that is engineered and manufactured for sale around the world.. We are still experimenting them in laboratories for years and years with nothing to sell , yet.. I am waiting for something like that to arrive on shelves at Home Depots, etc. Utilities want total control of the energy we use... Mirrors cannot be metered.

[junkyardnut]

in any case, where is the sense of urgency, eveybody!! ??? Are you waiting until oil prices hit $300 before you start to act or what? there is always kicking the can ahead every time and nothing much was done to combat the Big Fossil!

[WestofKevin]

Great project junkyardnut. It is important to point out that advthinker and others like it are tools for industrial feudalism. Free men work to help one another, are positive, and offer solutions, like wjj4832. Cheers

[junkyardnut]

@WestofKevin what a putdown remark !! With oil prices so high, you are still twiddling your thumbs and doing nothing much about destroying oil demand!!

[WestofKevin]

@junkyardnut Incorrect to characterise my message as a putdown. I praise your project. I praise men like wjj4832. Another user posts putdowns here: "we are being fed red herrings by those who are protecting their energy businesses", or "Whip oil fatcats now!", and "those greedy oil investors set up phony alternate energy businesses". I simply agree with that poster.

Criticism is the highest form of patriotism. All the best for your projects.

[junkyardnut]

in any case, where is the sense of urgency, eveybody!! ??? Are you waiting until oil prices hit $300 before you start to act or what? there is always kicking the can ahead every time and nothing much was done to combat the Big Fossil!

have u watched my other clip about 17 minutes long called 6X something... you will be amazed!

[wjj4832]

Wal-Mart has nice Mainstays brand wall mirrors for a project like this for $5 right now (5/31/2011). Dimensions are 13.25" x 49.25" x .25".

[advthinker]

good luck.

[advthinker]

Was only trying to make a point, I experiment my self, and there is no doubt, that mirrors are usefull. i have a large globe that self tracs the sun, and the afternoon sun is blocked, so i set up the mirrors to shoot thru the globe and gather a beam to burn with. now if i walk in front of the mirrors two things happen, one the light is blinding, and also intence heat can be felt. now if you have them in a box, where the light can do it,s thing thats great, i bet you still cant use your yard.

[junkyardnut]

@advthinker I know that it is blinding but this is way besides the point.... maybe you still pretend that you can afford your utility bills , ??

[junkyardnut]

@junkyardnut Have you seen my other clips???

[junkyardnut]

@advthinker I know that it is blinding but this is way besides the point.... maybe you still pretend that you can afford your utility bills , ?? Many cant...

[advthinker]

not that it cant be done, but on the other hand you cant use your yard either!

[junkyardnut]

@advthinker It is a workable concept that can be improved upon. Dont be so hasty to take it as it is , that is... It can be made more accommodiative to everyone's taste and preference. For your information, I demolished my fireplace and chimey made of brick because I no longer consider it to be sensible anymore as you should very well know that it pollutes air way, way too much for its own good....

[junkyardnut]

The energy industry rush to peddle LEDs, photovoltaics , etc to drain our pockets in order to minimize losses through so called energy conservation programs. If every one of us use direct sunlight and reflectors to heat our homes, those energy industries will be in a real deep depression from plummeting energy demands.

[danie1murphy]

@junkyardnut Thanks, if more people would use solar energy directly it would go a long way tword energy independence. Keep up the good work.

[junkyardnut]

@danie1murphy It appears that we are being fed red herrings by those who are protecting their energy businesses by being misled to believe that photovoltaics is the only way to go. This is utterly false! Photovoltaics just converts sunlight into electricity at very low efficiency, much sunlight get wasted! Mirrors reflects almost 100% of sunlight and heat to whatever you use it for, heatiing, lighting, cooking, even burning a hole through a steel plate! I wonder about fiberoptics.

[junkyardnut]

@danie1murphy maybe they are assuming that we dont want solar energy simply because it rises and set everyday. It is not a question of wanting solar energy or not, it is a question of cutting down our dependence on fossil fuel, etc. We need it badly now! Or the rich will be the onlly one still able to afford fossiil fuel at skyrockiting prices..

[junkyardnut]

foxtrot I also fantasized about removing my entire roof and replace it with an entire sunroof or greenhouse top as a second floor with normal insulated floor to keep the hot sun out but let the winter sun in all around. This isthe ulitmate !

[junkyardnut]

you can use a cart mount using wheels to move the mirror around. You can add some dead weight using bricks in the bottom tray to hold it against the winds. You will also need screw in brackets to hold the mirrors. Or you can dig a posthole and pour concrete in to hold a post for the mirrors. You can also add "mirror table" to the bottom sills of your windows facing the south to double the sunlight. There is many different ways to "funnel" all the sunlight that bypass your house all around.

[1foxtrot70]

I like your video. I have a house that is turned slightly as such I get bulk of rear of the house facing north and the western side facing slightly NW. End result of this is back side of house is colder than the front half. Here in central Iowa the winter winds are formidable I think the mirrors would blow down. My next thought is to do some sort of conversion to an earth sheltered home with a berm on the NW and N sides.

[ncbookz]

thanks

[maggzzz10]

Not all homes have North sides, no matter what hemisphere we're on. Lots of homes are built side by side or stacked to apartment buildings. Anyhow I do like your idea, it can save people with North walls/windows energy. Or South walls on the southern hemisphere.

[junkyardnut]

@maggzzz10 The sunlight can be reflected all around the house 360 degrees. The most optimal efficiency is perfect "U Turn" or opposite peripenduclaur reflection. The Sun sails through the sky which mean you can move the mirrors accordingly. to maintain straight head on reflection or less straight like L which still works fine. You have to find higher mounts for sunrises and sunsets so not tohave towait forthe shadow to recede toward the northern sides. You have to try it to understand.

[junkyardnut]

@maggzzz10 if you have no northern side, you can still use east or west sides anyhow. it all depends on the mountings of the reflectors. It can be done like TV satellites or on top of poles. If you can find a spot to mount at least 4 by 8 foot refector, it is going to be worth the investment. Heat generated by this humble dimension is really huge!! equivalent to your average wall heater. The closer the reflector is to your unit the more powerful it s.

[junkyardnut]

@maggzzz10 you can get maybe only 200-300 watts from a 4 x 8 foot photovoltaic module but you can get much more in form of BTU from similiar dimension easily topping 15,000 BTUs or 2000 or 3000 watts worth of direct reflected sunlight. I dont understand why they are so focused on photovoltaics while direct sunlight is far more efficient and effective. 75% of our utility bills is for heating indoors while the rest goes to lighting and cooking ,etc. We are so dazzled up about LEDs and trinkets.

[junkyardnut]

@maggzzz10 The energy industry is practicing damage control through peddling those energy trinkets like LEDs, photovoltaics, etc to reduce revenue losses through energy conservation. The real 800 pound gorilla in energy conservation is direct sunlight by reflection to heat indoors that could smash the energy industry into a deep depression.

[mudlogger77]

I just bump up the thermostat when I'm a bit cold in my house.

[junkyardnut]

Did you wear thermal underwear? Knit cap? Thick socks? Every bit helps..It sure beat being out on the streets !~

[blckjade05]

hmm, do you think theirs a metal material that can survive the elements outdoors that can be made with an ultra smooth surface??

resistant to weather, fire, storms, different circumstances

resistant to physical impact, such as high winds or debree that may randomly hit them no matter what.

as well as be able to stand the test of time, or atleast last as long as they can be or if you can manufacture them to last longer.

if you take care of the downside, the upside will handle itself

[junkyardnut]

There is official solar reflecting films available for sale at websites if you use search words like solar reflector and you will get many online solar shops offering high quality solar reflecting stuff that can last much longer than my cheap aluminium foil. I pay only $8 for a roll of 200 square foot which is a lot. Ofificial solar reflecting foil goes for $100-200 easily. I am not as concerned about durabilty as you may think.. Remember even faded out alumiium foil can block hot summer sun

[junkyardnut]

What people need to understand is that alternate energy business will never be as profitable as oil or gas because alternate energy will require far more physical structure and space to harness the sun or wind for same energy amount as traditional fossil fuel based generators that are more durable and compact. What is not durable is the supply of fossil fuels and the abiilty of our atmosphere and water bodies to absorb the pollution emissions from ever growing usage of fossil fuels

[junkyardnut]

But the fossil fuel investors do not care about the dwindling supplies of fossil fuels, the ever dirtier enviroment or the sustainabilty of those fossil fuel industries. We simply cannot have much more growth out of that anymore. Ameirca is already energy constrained , but we cover up with blames on financial industries for our economic messes. Banks are wiling to be fall guys so to protect the oil industries. Bankers dont mind being whpping boys for the oil fat cats. Whip oil fatcats now!

[junkyardnut]

Gold plating may be a good option. Whynot? Gold is most stable element around even in salt water . It would cost only $10 to goldplate a mirror, I dont know. may still be worth the money. may be better at reflecting infrared wavelengths than aluminium or silver. That is why we are mining for gold like crazy. Who knows when we will suddenly need a lot more of gold one day so better have those stockpiles of gold ready.

[blckjade05]

business man, i can already tell you why, thats why im asking you mirrors or mylar.

[junkyardnut]

yeah the most important thing is finding the smoothest surface you can find at affordable prices. masonite boards are a good choice but they comes in narrow boards like two foot by eight foot unlike rougher plywood variety that is 4 by 8 foot. You can select the smoothest plywood sheet if you want but they are too good for that. Masonite is the best and you can scour for them at garage sales for really cheap like broken ping pong tables or hollow doors . Call home remodelers and ask them

[junkyardnut]

Maonite boards is my favorite for applying mylar or aluminium. I never tried mylar. You can buy them by rolls at solar websites by searching "solar reflector". They are right kind of reflective material and can last 5 to 7 years . I checked those sites recently and they are getting better and better than previously flimsy foil. I am encouraged somewhat. But the price is so high. Will I get tax credits for that? For now, I am sticking with aluminium foil that is good enough and cheap to repair.

[junkyardnut]

no wonder everyone cannot make up their minds about how to go big with alternate energy as everyon e is keeping coming up with cheaper ideas of harnessing the Sun. It is like the Gulliver's Tales. The guy pinned o the gorund by midgets all around him..

[blckjade05]

yeah, your idea is very good, very simpistic,the problem is feasability and demand.

it works dont get me wrong, but people are generally stupid and or lazy.

they want something that isnt an eye sore to them.

theyd even sacrifice money because it doesnt look fashionable. thats your biggest hurdle because other then hat itsa no brainer. but u maybe able to find a way around this if u go through each part of your design line by line. analyzing what u can possibly alter.

[junkyardnut]

I dont worry about the eyesore angle as long as anybody is free to improve on my concept to make it more aesthetic looking . It can be done. People just stop and wondering what could happen to our Gross Domestic Product Index if we cut our oil demand by 50% which is about one trillion dollar worth of oil off the GDP chart. Our govt will lose tax revenues and the domino theorty goes wild! What we forget is we can make different stuff under the sun to make up the lost GDP . But oil >>>

[junkyardnut]

But Oil is a very profitable business because all you need to do is to open and shut valves and read charts as you walk up down the platforms in the oil patch. Anything to do with fluids like inkjet cartridges , condiments, catsup, etc is very profitable!! Anything to do with hardware made of metal, plastic, wood, etc is very low in profitability. So investors still flocks toward fluid based stocks . They dont care about demand and supply whackouts in our eocnomy. nor bankrupites!!

[junkyardnut]

those greedy oil investors set up phony alternate energy businesses to make us think and feel that we are finally doing something meaningful about reducing our overdependence on fossil fuels. Now yo tell me about eyesores. , wait, until eveyone get really sore wallets!

[blckjade05]

so for cost, and reflectivity would u go with mirrors or mylar

i thinking picking the most economical and functional reflective material would be a good first step. go from top to bottom line by line

[junkyardnut]

The solar industry is pretending to ignore my idea and others with the beer can concept. They even sells windows that block UV , for heaven 's sake! Why block crucial warm sunlight during wintertime? What is worse , the sun goes higher druing the summer and dont go horizionally through the windows as druing the witnertime. Hve you noticed that? I ask my local glass shop if they still sells single paned windows. NOpe! no more! All new windows blocks UV now!!

[junkyardnut]

They are more interested in maintaining as much electicity flowing as possible while boasting of energy conservation that just chip away a few percentage points off the demand curve. During the winter, you cannot reflect winter time sun through UV windows that good. You end up paying more for heating oil, natural gas and ellecticity to heat your home. I dont need UV windows because I can pull down shades anytime I want. I even use my aluminium foil boards to reflect back hot summer sun!

[junkyardnut]

My solar boards is actually a double duty through winter and summer. I move my boards to the south side of my house where it is hottest in summer. I block not only windows but all the siding walls on the outside. It feel a lot cooler indoors and I need less AC . My idea works around the year!

[junkyardnut]

I would choose mirrors over mylar because it is ready made smooth. I already had experience with mirrors as you can see in my clip . My major stumbling block is finding most economical and safe mean of mounting mirrors for outdoors. For now, I am using aluminium foil and cheap sheating boards. I will eventually go back to mirrors. But I had a few glimpses of firm mylar film that is new online lately. I already had a load of mirrors that is yet to be mounted and I have no regrets.

[blckjade05]

do you think if you manufactured mylar to an ultra smooth surface that would be alot safer then mirrors? possibly laminate it with a thin, durable clear surface

or laminate the mirrors with security film, which help protect against shatter. 3M makes security film. I think it would be good to have the most reflective, can survive the elements , shatter resistant and to be an economical material that can sit outside with low maintenance.

what do you think

[junkyardnut]

What I am actually thinking is WHY cannot even one manufacturer embrace my idea and start manufacturing them and see what happens.. There are already people famiilar with the techniques of mirroring on various surfaces. All they need is choosing the most economical materials. I dont care if they dont last a couple of years as long as I can buy each 4x8 for $10 apiece and recycle them when faded out from the sun. it will be wortth my money many times over! My home will be way overheated!!

[mabtka]

A bit short video, but got the idea.

Thumbs up.

[junkyardnut]

I have more clips here for you to watch

[blckjade05]

how much more reflective are mirror reflectors than mylar sheets?

and if they are worth it more then mylar, how expensive are they? is there anywhere to get quotes?

[junkyardnut]

@blckjade05

well, you have to understand that any flimsy sheets has to be meticuously applied over utlra smooth surfaces. The sunlight has very small wavelengths so tiny that even a tiny bump or wrinkle unseen to your bare eyes can throw that narrow ray off the intended target. That is why mirrors is far superior to anything flimsy that you need to be very skillled to apply .Mirrors comes with a glass cover that can shatter and injure you if you are not careful with appropirate mountings .

[junkyardnut]

@blckjade05 That is why I really curse mirror manufacturers for charging too much for mirrors. You can try glass shops to buy scraps for really cheap. I got a few good sized ones for free, yet I am too scared to do anytihng with them until I am sure I know what I am doing with them safely. Anything to deal with glass or mirror is a very hazardous thing even standing on a ladder facing a window that you can easily kill. yourself falling through it. What I am looking for is ...continued

[junkyardnut]

@blckjade05 I am looking for a manufacturer that laminated mirror stuff on plastic surface and use no glass whatsovever. . I have seen many shiny widgets made of plastic but no large mirror stuff on plastic boards , you know. I google and google like crazy .. Another thing I need is a oversized RAM mount that has a ball and socket mechanism that you can wiggle around to track the sun reflection toward your house easily. I dont like hinges or stuff like that. I have so much imaginiation!

[junkyardnut]

@blckjade05 in order to compensate for uneven surface underalumium foil, you have to place them as close to your window as possible less than ten foot away and higher on mounts to capture the sun over the roofline. That way the surface distortion will not bve able to go out of way too much and still get through the window at various angles too numerous to count as well as unseen. Advanced helostats for solar electricity generation are so polished even that almost all sunlight are held together

[junkyardnut]

@blckjade05 my boards is so uneven even though minor all over still miss about 50% of the sunlight through my windows . What I see going through the window is not as illuminating as the sunlight coming directly through other windows, unless you move boartds much closer then they improve considerably to 60 or 70% in my estimate. You can concentrate mutlples of boards trough the same window to pack a good punch enough to allow you to take your thermal underwear off and swinging along!

[junkyardnut]

applying glue can be messy and you can leave glue marks on the shiny foil . Youmay need someone to handle the foil whjile you handle the glue yourself. Also, if you can find unwanted indoor hollow doors made of smooht masonite boards. They are excellent surfaces of applying foil or mylar. For mirrors, you need a backing and a mirror bracket that can be bolted instead of screwed on like those cheap plastic mirror brackets with tiny screws which is not good. Ping pong tables make good surfaces.

[junkyardnut]

I have to warn you that mirrors is dangerous to fool around with . Dont use any glue which wont work. I made small brackets cut out of galvanized steel sheets by bending with pliers to hold mirror edges. dont use the plastic types availabel at mirror shops. They will crack under the weather and mirrors will fall out. Drill holes in the homemade brackets and bolt with nut not screw on boards.. Screws always get loose. I wish there is such light plastic boards with mirrors sprayed on available.

[CraziestOzzy]

cool stuff, now I have an idea for cooking my neighbours bloody roosters...and have a free feed at the same time...mmmmmm.....chicken

[WoundedEgo]

Russia wanted to do this to heat up Siberia!

[wingnut4427]

that's awesome ! Have you thought about doing this in combination with the soda can heaters ?

[junkyardnut]

Soda can heaters do not provide free lighting. Mine provides both heat and light. My shady dark room brighten up as if it is from the Sun in the northern sky. The real Sun exists only in the southern sky from sunrise to sunset. If you live in the Southern Hemisphere like Chile, then the Sun exists in the northern sky. See? The Sun doesnt go around your house, right? You can also multiply the Sun if you wish. It is limitless, but be careful not to set your house on fire. It can happen!

[viking1au]

How do you weatherproof the Masonite boards?

[junkyardnut]

with waterproof paint like for wood decks and stuff. , but if you glue alumnium foil on the masonite board, you are actually waterproofing it anyway.. Buy a gallon jug of Elmer outdoor glue for about $15 and a wide scraper to spread the glue fast enough to apply foil before it dries. For mirrors, this is a different story , it is dangerous to fool around with mirrors outdoors due to winds etc that can shatter mirrors. Aluminium foil is good enough and works fine ... Good question , though!

[junkyardnut]

The other good material is foam board but it is very expensive! You can go to convention halls and ask the manager to allow you to dig in their trash bins and look for lightweight boards that were used as display boards for the conventions. I need lightweight smooth boards to mount on tall poles to stimulate the same natural angles of sunlight as it reflect downard to my house without blinding me. I am using horse blinders for now..

[WoundedEgo]

What about Coroplast?

[junkyardnut]

good choice. I checked it on line and it sells for $2 per 36 inch by 24 inch. Not bad.. It looks a bit flimsy but lightweight. What I learn about plywood boards is that it bends if it is set up lenghwise up and down. I will set them widthwise on double . Maybe I can get by with one quarter inch thick plywood boards instead of five eight inch I use now. Plywood is still the cheapest aruond.

[junkyardnut]

My house just happens to be positioned right for both winter and summer since I can keep my solar reflectors in my backyard and out of public view.I am lucky! Masonite boards and aluminium foil is my favorite because of sheer affordability and the most bang for the buck. I have mirrors to complement that but I dont plan to concentrate the mirrors in one area. Too hazardous and possibly combustible to your house.

[321ozzy]

This is exactly what I am going to do here in my house. The main reason is to have more light initially for my plants. (?)

I am building a pop can heater... to heat up rooms at the shadow side. Thinking about your huge mirrors(made of doors and reflective material), I can make a solar concentrator pointing at the popcan heater.

You made me thinking changing my plan of using ducts to transmit the air from inside - through the panel and back inside the house.

[junkyardnut]

I fail to make any sense out of the bear can craze.. A BTU is a BTU no matter how you package it ... You are going to need a lot of surface to capture the sunlight or reflect it or any other way you want to.. I dont see how one beer can panel can heat the whole house. Any solar heater has to be big like mine. Mirrors is the best but it can easily set your house on fire if it is concentrated enough. Aluminium foil is the safest and idiot proof material I can think of.

[junkyardnut]

It can be reused to reflect back summer sun where you dont want it that is on your south side. Chimneys absorb heat from the sun and radiate during the nights and keep you miserable in your sleep. Wrap your chimney in aluminium foil and you will sleep a lotta better! I am now reusing my solar reflectors to repel the summer sun from my south side during the afternoon.

[321ozzy]

Hi junkyardnut,

Concentrating sunlight is dangerous, heating up a batch with the use of 6 mirrors almost resulted in setting the (dry) grass on fire near the batch.

I will have a try with the aluminium foil you mention by applying it to the fence. (that fence is 3 metres high)

The popcan furnace will be used to heat up seperate rooms,

Thank you for your advice

[WoundedEgo]

If you angle the mirrors towards each other then you concentrate it. If they are all in a line it just redirects it.

[junkyardnut]

I position several boards toward my sliding glass door and other several boards toward my living room window. If you use mirrors instead of aluminium, you will need only one or two. Mirrors are hotter than aluminium foil. Have you seen my mirror clip? I dismantled it last year because I am not satisfied with the way mirrors are mounted. I dont mind adjusting mirrors or aluminium foil boards during the day but they are heavy and I had to secure them to the ground every time I move them.

[gaburley]

Hi again;

Just a thought, if you have the room, what about a solar wall (air preheater)?

I was going to experiment with a solar wall in my yard. The sun heating one side and reflected sun heating the other.

I also care less about lookd and more about results. You also have me rethinking using foil in my projects.

Just a thought.

Glenn

[junkyardnut]

@gaburley We used to have solar water heaters mounted on rooftops , but water heaters is not that expensive to run with gas or electricity. We ought to focus more on space heating which is more simpler than heating water that requires tampering with our plumbing which I dont like at all. We can mount rooftop solar heaters to heat up my home. There is no manufacturers whatsoever. I think it is more effective than photovoltaics on rooftops and cheaper. Politics as usual you know?

[junkyardnut]

People forget that when we add anything on the roof, they creates shadows on homes.. It counts for something... My philosphy is to keep everything solar out of the house to capture more energy and carry it into homes. Cutting trees that cast shadows over homes do count a lot... I cut down a row of tall Italian cypress trees regretfully because they are in the wrong place blocking sunlight from my home all morning everyday. Shadows is counterproductive to solar energy!

[WoundedEgo]

Popular wisdom says to put deciduous trees on the South so they shad in summer but not in winter, and put Evergreens on the North to shade in the summer and block wind in the winter.

[junkyardnut]

Passive air heaters is zero sum because it absorbs then releases same heat , no gain, unless you put them out of your home to capture more sun or heat outside your home. My reflector is not the only idea around, but I believe that it should be the first thing we should have before we add others like PV or those funny beer can outfits ..

[centervilletn]

great idea..would like to see more...im currently working on a new passive solar air heater..i got my hands on some aluminum corrogated and perforated metal for my absorber...

[junkyardnut]

I can see the big difference between smooth masonite boards and cheap uneven sheathing boards as I look at the more defined and concentrated rays going indoors from smooth masonite boards than those from cheap sheathing boards which is not as bright indoors.

[trailkeeper]

It looks better than tin/aluminum foil, probalby reflects twice the light.

[junkyardnut]

Yes but aluminium foil is far cheaper and safer to handle than mirrors. Also, it is far easier to make with than with mirrors. Also, far lighter !! Also better for use during summertime to reflect back hot sun rays on the south side. Mirrors would be excellent for reflecting through smaller windows. I am lucky to have a large sliding glass door that is wide open to allow so much reflected sunlight through.

[gaburley]

Foil might be less reflective, but it is then less likely to damage your eyes than mirrors.

I had a (satalite dish style) solar concentrator/ cooker, and I soon put it away as I feel that it is too dangerous; it reflects too well.

I think that you are right, foil is the way to go.

Glenn (the pest)

[junkyardnut]

@gaburley We can try almost anything , really, but I ask you why the solar industry is not interested but only in photovoltaics to generate electricty only. Where are the manufacturers that make solar heaters, stoves, etc? Why do we have to make them from stratch? We need Solar Shacks like we have Radio Shacks, you know?

[junkyardnut]

yes but aluminium foil can be almost as good as mirrors if put on really smooth surfaces like hollow doors made of smooth masonite boards. . Hollow doors are very light and easy to move around as the sun sails across the southern sky.. I have one now . I also have a old ping pong table table that I will put foil on for next year! Smooth masonite boards dont scatter sunlight as it reflects. Watch for new clips next year. the duck thermostat will go up!