Why Solar Heat Collectors?
Solar heat collectors have many different applications. The common availability of the materials alllow for many members of a community to participate in the building and use of the collectors. In some communities such as the one in Yakutat they don't have the common things we use to heat our homes such as oil based fuels and natural gas, but they do have one thing we have, the internet. These remote areas have access to information through promoting guides online and sharing files that explain how to make the solar heat collectors. In these areas people will be able to more cost efficiently and consistently heat their homes, instead of paying outrageous amounts of money for fuel, or chopping wood all day to heat their homes. Something like this solar heat collector can allow for the recycling of trash such as cans, that would otherwise accumulate in a dump.
How great is the return?
What will have the greatest Return on Investment (ROI), Solar Water Heating, Solar Air Heating, or Solar Electrical Production?
Background:
Current Energy Prices per Million BTU
Powder River Basin Coal – $0.56
Northern Appalachia Coal – $2.08
Natural gas – $5.67
Ethanol subsidy – $5.92
Petroleum – $13.56
Propane – $13.92
#2 Heating Oil – $15.33
Jet fuel – $16.01
Diesel – $16.21
Gasoline – $18.16
Wood pellets – $18.57
Ethanol – $24.74
Electricity – $34.03
http://www.consumerenergyreport.com/2010/01/19/prices-of-various-energy-sources/
Firewood - $20.00
http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/techline/fuel-value-calculator.pdf
Sunlight - $0
Previous calculations found an ROI of 10% for Photovoltaic Solar Electrical. (Cost of $6000 and return of $16000 over 25 years.)
Output: 3.6kw/hr/day * 4hour/day = 14.4 kwh @ $.14/kwh = $2/day or $730/year
14.4kwh * 30 days/month = 432 kwh reduction
ROI 10.66%
Solar Air Heating Materials:
Wood $35
Polycarbonate $40
Pop Cans $0-$25
Solar Panel $70
Fan $5
Circuit $10
Screws $2
Brackets $6
Baffle $15
Liquid Nails $5
Black Paint $13/2
Total $195
Output: 9600 btu or 2,400,000 cal/hour * 4 hour/day = 9,600,000 cal/day or 1/25 of mbtu/day = 7mbtu/ ½ yr @ $20/mbtu or $140/yr @25 years = $3500
ROI 72%
Tools:
Drill
Step Bit
Hole Saw
One Touch
Screw Driver
Paint Sprayer
Caulk Gun
Tin Snips
Soldering Gun
Solar Water Heating Estimates
Materials for Water Tank $400
Piping $400
Pressure Tank $200
Thermostatic Pumps $300
Plumbing $500
3 Solar Water Heater $900
Total $2700
Output:
3 @ 9600 btu or 2,400,000 cal/hour * 4 hour/day = 9,600,000 cal/day or 1/25 of mbtu/day = 14mbtu/yr @ $20/mbtu or $280/year * 3 = $740/year *25 year = $18500
ROI 27%
This live feed is a live montioring of a solar heat collector. It is achieved by using a circuit assembled by one of our community members, Mr. Kissman, and it monitors collectors that are installed on his house. It is a circuit comprised of an XBee radio connected to an Arduino board, then programmed using the code provided underneath the live feed. If the link does not work to open the PDF, the code is provided below.