I love simple solutions and nothing seems simpler than Practical Solar’s Home Heating- Mirrors. The concept is so basic it makes me wonder why this is relatively new solar technology for homes.
Like the massive desert solar farms that use hundreds of mirrors to reflect light at a central pipe with liquid in it, home-heating mirrors simply reflect the sun’s light at your home to heat it.
All it takes is two such mirrors pointed at your home, ideally at a window, to generate as much warmth as a space heater.
Of course these mirrors would only be useful to in sunny yet cold climates but there are plenty of people who fit that bill. Speaking of bills, it’s a great way to keep those expensive summer bills down while also providing plenty of natural light. Who needs to flick the light switch when you’ve got concentrated solar energy illuminating your room?
What do you think, does Practical Solar have a good idea here? Let us know what you think in the comment section.
November 30th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
In theory it sounds all good, but I have a couple of concerns. For one, in the summer the house is already hot and you may in all lkely hood be using power to generate air conditioning. So I suppose you can aim them somewhere else but that seems to be more work then it’s worth. The concern is the fact that they are right in the middle of the yard, kind of annoying when you’re mowing the yard. Easilly vandalised as well.
However I would say it could be useful in some applications.
January 2nd, 2010 at 10:18 pm
yes, it is a very good idea
January 14th, 2010 at 10:43 pm
Ok But if you aim it at your house be very carfull a Dr. Friend here in town did this and burnt down his house it is better to use a stationary aray and produce power and or heat to be sent to your home for heating and electric also there are technics that were used for many years in hot climates that are cheep ways to cool with natural means I. E. “Cool tubes” Nothing morew than a lingth of
Pvc pipe barried 16 +” below ground that has a outdoor opening to drow in air and a sucker fan into the house to bust air movement . If anyone wants a desing that works to produce electric and hot water and hot air at same time and even provides power after dark contact me and we can talk about how I discovered old tech that was way befor its and our time. See you in the funny papers TAGz3339 Yahoo