Solar Cooling - Air Conditioning From The Sun
At first glance, solar cooling looks like an
oxymoron. However, the same energy that can provide heat
in the wintertime can also provide cooling during the
summer.
Several passive cooling systems have been developed
and tested. At their simplest, they rely on a coolant
that absorbs and dissipates heat from the house. This
could be a pool of water on the rooftop which absorbs
seat from the inside of the house as it evaporates on
exposure to the sun.
More sophisticated passive solar cooling systems have
a solar collector which is shaded during the daytime. A
storage medium collects heat during the day and
dissipates it at night by exposing the solar collector
to the cool night air.
Since the solar collector must be shaded, a
retractable awning or overhang extension can be
installed. Since the system can be reversed in the
winter months, it is important that the solar collector
can be exposed to sunshine if needed.
Solar panels can also be used to operate traditional
air conditioners. As it happens, the periods of intense
heat correspond to the periods of peak electricity
production from photovoltaic cells. As long as you have
solar panels which generate sufficient to electricity,
you can operate air conditioners at no cost.
Solar cooling that does not take advantage of high
technology is another possibility. The Romans used a
system of running water to cool down exterior walls of
their houses. The heat of the sun causes the water to
evaporate and dissipate the heat within the house. This
kind of system can be used on walls or on rooftops.
Heating and cooling are two of the biggest expenses
for most households. Using solar energy to reduce this
expense makes sense financially as well as ecologically.
The less dependent we are on fossil fuels for heating
and cooling the cleaner the environment will be
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