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Solar
Cooling - Build A Solar Evaporative Cooler
 If you live in a relatively dry climate,
and have basic skills, you can make a solar evaporative cooler just like
we did.
Using solar cooling will save you money on your electric bill each month that you use
it. The cost of making the solar cooler can be returned in a short period of
time with the savings.
We made our own solar air conditioner and so can you. We have put
together a nice set of instructions showing how we made our solar cooler. The instructions are simple and easy to follow. They
are in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format and can be viewed and saved right from
this site. Just click on the link below and hit the save button. You must
have Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the plans.
We are making these plans
available to everyone without charge on one condition.
If you download the plans
and use them to make your own cooler, please make a donation for
our efforts. We would like to continue making this site available to
everyone. Your donation will help do so.
So what are you waiting
for? You CAN be part of the solution!
Watch our short
video showing our solar cooler
Click
here to view the PDF file
Since we use solar energy to heat our
passive solar home in
the winter, we wondered if we could use the sun to cool our home in the
summer. Knowing that a compressor type air conditioning system would
require more electricity than we could generate, we wanted an alternative
solar cooling source, a solar air conditioner if you will. Being familiar with evaporative coolers and living in an
area with a dry climate, I made a solar cooler using easily purchased
parts to cool our 1600 square foot home.
I used an existing evaporative cooler since
all the important components were already there. I mounted a 12 volt
radiator fan in front of the existing opening and left the existing AC pump, motor and squirrel cage intact. Having 110 Volt AC power
available, I can use the existing AC pump and motor in the evening to continue cooling the house. The
solar cooler
has performed well with the
items left in place.
If you are not familiar with evaporative
coolers, click this link to the California
Energy Commission to see a very good explanation of how they work.
Afternoon summer temperatures range between
85° to 95° in this part of California. Although smaller than needed for
our house size, the solar cooler does a good job of keeping the house cool. With the
solar modifications, it maintains a temperature difference of about 15°
between the outside and the inside.
I use a 110 watt panel that is mounted on a
tracker to provide power to the solar cooler. The solar panel and tracker
are mounted on the ground in front of the cooler. In previous years I have
placed the panel flat on the roof just above the solar cooler. That worked fine
for most of the day. The tracker extends the time in the afternoon when
the summer temperatures are keeping things hot.
The video runs for 1 minute and 8 seconds
and
shows how we use solar cooling for our home. We hope that you enjoy the video.
Please watch our other solar videos available elsewhere on this site.
Please visit the Living
On Solar Blog to talk about or ask questions about solar cooling.
Click here to
play the solar cooling video Solar
living is possible and you
can build a solar evaporative cooler just like we did! If
the plans have a value to you please consider making a donation! Click
here to view the PDF file
March
15, 2010
This is a new section
that we thought you might like. We will keep it updated.
Solar Air Conditioning News
- Making
Houses Green (And Saving Some, Too)
- Sharp installed solar panels on the roof, added solar
tube lighting inside, and replaced the air conditioning system
with a giant house fan. ...
- Silicon
Valley company to replace every window in the Empire State...
- ... 16000 windows and install solar panels, advanced
lighting systems and rooftop gardens. They will also overhaul heating
and air conditioning systems, ...
- George
W. Bush presidential library's blueprints filled with green, following
...
- To reduce energy use, the Bush building will have energy-efficient
windows, heating and air conditioning, in addition to window
overhangs to provide shade. ...
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