Today people are trying to cut back on expenses in the home and one such way is to build an outdoor solar shower. Let us take a look at this ingenious man, Edward Schultz. He has five active little boys, and it became very expensive for him to heat hot water to wash them. Therefore, his solution was to make an outdoor shower in his garden; so his first task was to find out how to build an outdoor solar shower?

As he researched on the Internet for info on the subject of outdoor showers; he soon learned that most eco solar showers were designed for a quick shower by campers; not really practical for a family. Therefore, he decided to design one to fit the needs of his family. He decided to just use whatever he found around his home; which in his case was a farm. For those of us who do not live on a farm, you may have to purchase some of the materials.

Still if you are really thrifty you still can find bargains if you know where to look, for instance, most lumber yards sell damaged or warped lumber for next to nothing just to get the damaged timber off their hands. However, this man had a lot of the needed materials laying around his farm, gathered from years of projects. He had the idea that he wanted that rustic look for his outdoor shower. This is how he went about building an outdoor solar shower for his family. The frame, floor and upper deck were made from with 4X4 treated landscaping timbers; all of which he found on his property, so the wood had that look he was going for. Furthermore, for the cross braces, he used the branches he found lying around his property.

Therefore, this is how he went about building an outdoor solar shower

The hardware like screws he found in the barn. One of the great things about building your own outdoor solar shower is that you really don’t need to be a carpenter just someone with imagination and the basic tools. His design for the water reservoir tank was a couple of old unused metal garbage cans, these were positioned in direct sunlight, so they actually became the solar collector heating system. He painted one black which increased the collectors efficiency and made the water hotter. He did not use rain water (probably a step to far and would mean a shower once a month for the family) but plumbed it in from the mains water.

The simple plumbing he did consist of “3/4 inch CPVC threaded adaptor, two locking nuts, two large washers and two pieces of rubber” from an inner tube;this allowed for the water to be brought up from the bottom of the cans. He even used an old watering can for the shower head, he then hung the cans horizontally from a couple of branches.

For the flooring he did have to install culled wood from a lumber yard. Which as stated before if you buy the damaged wood from a lumber yard, you can get it for next to nothing. In the end his outdoor solar shower had a “capacity of 50 plus gallons” and gives about twenty minutes of shower time.

To give an idea of the temperature of the water the solar heater could produce, when it is 90 degrees or higher outside, the water was hot, like taking an indoor shower. Where as if the temperature was around  80 degrees, the heated water was comfortable and refreshing. However, If the temperatures were getting into the 70′s or lower, the water was like getting into an unheated pool. You get the idea, as the outside temperatures drop so does the water temperatures.
A project like this always has room to make improvements, like hanging a curtain for some privacy!

Reference: http://www.countrysidemag.com/issues/90/90-6/Edward_Shultz.html

Outdoor Solar Shower is a post from: How to Build a Solar Panel

It is very important, if you are looking into solar power, that you learn how a solar furnace works.  Knowing this information will help to ensure your safety and help you get the most from solar power.

The Basics of a Solar Furnace

A solar furnace captures the suns power and focuses it into a high temperature stream.  The furnace is actually a collection of curved mirrors or mirrored surfaces that capture the rays and reflect them to a single point where the energy is focused.  This focused energy can reach a temperature of over 5,400 degrees. 

The energy or heat collected and focused by a solar furnace can be used in many different ways.  It can be harnessed to create electricity, melt metals, or create fuel by turning water into steam.  It can also be used to cook food.  There is some work with trying to harness solar energy on a large scale to serve as a renewable energy source to heat homes and provide power to homes.

A solar furnace is very reliant upon good, sunny weather.  Without direct sunlight shining of the reflective surface, the furnace has no power.  This is why when using a solar furnace for continuous energy it is important to have other elements, like storage that captures and contains the energy to be used later.

Creation of a Solar Furnace

The basic set up of a solar furnace is simple.  All it takes is 2 mirrors or reflective surfaces pointed to reflect sun to a focal point.  As the number of reflective surfaces is increased, the power harnessed by the furnace increases.  This is because the sun’s rays are multiplied with each surface it is reflecting off.

It is very important that the reflective surfaces are aimed accurately at the focal point where the energy is collected.  All reflective surfaces need to be reflecting the sun to the same point or else the energy will be scattered and the result will not be as powerful.

Concerns About Solar Energy

There are some safety concerns about the use of a solar furnace since the temperature of the heat is so extreme.  At the focal point, the suns energy is hot enough to melt metal.  It is almost like a laser that could cut the hardest surface.  This focused energy must be treated as very dangerous.  It is essential to always use protective gear and follow strict safety standards when working with a solar furnace. However, in terms of impact on the environment, it has to be one of the cleanest energy sources available.

As mentioned, solar energy is not 100% reliable.  The sun may not shine everyday, or it may not shine bright enough or on the reflective surface long enough to produce adequate power for your needs.  A lot of planning is required so that you can harness the power you need and create storage of power to create a reliable energy source.

The basic process of how a solar furnace works is actually an easy concept to figure out and the basic materials you need to build one are just a couple of mirrors.  It is the different factors of using a solar furnace that requires some attention and skill to ensure a good final result.

Solar Furnace is a post from: How to Build a Solar Panel