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Solar cooling?


By zmoz, Section Remote Living
Posted on Tue Jul 27th, 2004 at 08:06:37 PM MST
Whats the lowest power way to cool off my house?

That's it...I can't handle the heat anymore. I've got a couple of window air conditioners in my house, but those things really suck some watts. What's the lowest power way of cooling? I'm thinking some sort of evaporative cooler, right? Anybody know where I can find any plans to build something like that myself? Has anybody else built something like that?
Solar cooling? | 18 comments (18 topical, 0 editorial)

Re: Solar cooling? (3.00 / 0) (#1)
by veewee77 on Tue Jul 27th, 2004 at 08:30:59 PM MST
(User Info)

Evaporative coolers work great in dry climates but don't try to use one where I live!

If your area is humid, you'll regret it. . .

Other than that, there isn't much hope. . .

Tell us where you live and we might get a better idea of your situation. . .

Doug



Re: Solar cooling? (3.00 / 0) (#2)
by zmoz on Tue Jul 27th, 2004 at 09:46:36 PM MST
(User Info)

I'm in oregon, we start freaking out when the humidity gets to about 60%. :) Right now it's about 30%....

[ Parent ]


Prevent solar heating (3.00 / 0) (#3)
by Oilburner on Tue Jul 27th, 2004 at 11:54:24 PM MST
(User Info)

I do not know where you are in Oregon but I looked up stats on Portland......

Today's Date: July 28, 2004
Climatology for PORTLAND, OR
View this data in Metric | English units. View Records Information. Show CDD.

Key:  e = estimated;  M = not available;  *= tied, most recent year shown

                                                 TODAY'S DATE: 28-JUL-04

JUL-04 FOR VANCOUVER, WA (210')                     LAT=45.7N LON=122.7W

                 TEMPERATURE                       PRECIPITATION
          ACTUAL           NORMAL
        HI   LO  AVG     HI   LO  AVG   DEPT     AMNT   SNOW SNCVR   HDD
 1      80   56   68     75   52   64     +4     0.00    0.0    0      0
 2      76   55   66     75   52   64     +2     0.00    0.0    0      0
 3      75   58   67     75   52   64     +3     0.00    0.0    0      0
 4      78   55   67     75   53   64     +3     0.00    0.0    0      0
 5      82   54   68     76   53   64     +4     0.00    0.0    0      0
 6      79   58   69     76   53   64     +5    trace    0.0    0      0
 7      71   53   62     76   53   65     -3     0.00    0.0    0      3
 8      73   53   63     76   53   65     -2     0.00    0.0    0      2
 9      74   53   64     76   53   65     -1     0.00    0.0    0      1

  1.      72   57   65     77   53   65     +0     0.00    0.0    0      0
  2.      80   51   66     77   53   65     +1     0.00    0.0    0      0
  3.      93   59   76     77   53   65    +11     0.00    0.0    0      0
  4.      85   64   75     77   54   65    +10    trace    0.0    0      0
  5.      88   61   75     77   54   66     +9     0.00    0.0    0      0
  6.      81   59   70     77   54   66     +4     0.00    0.0    0      0
  7.      87   57   72     78   54   66     +6     0.00    0.0    0      0
  8.      84   60   72     78   54   66     +6    trace    0.0    0      0
  9.      86   62   74     78   54   66     +8     0.01    0.0    0      0
  10.      82   66   74     78   54   66     +8     0.01    0.0    0      0
  11.      81   64   73     78   54   66     +7    trace    0.0    0      0
  12.      85   60   73     78   54   66     +7     0.00    0.0    0      0
  13.      97   59   78     78   54   66    +12     0.00    0.0    0      0
  14.     103   60   82     78   54   66    +16     0.00    0.0    0      0
  15.     100   65   83     78   54   66    +17     0.00    0.0    0      0
  16.      82   60   71     78   54   66     +5     0.00    0.0    0      0
  17.      84   57   71     79   54   66     +5     0.00    0.0    0      0
  18.      89   60   75     79   54   66     +9     0.00    0.0e   0      0
  19.       M    M    M     79   54   66      M        M    0.0    0      M
  20.       M    M    M     79   54   66      M        M    0.0    0      M
  21.       M    M    M     79   54   66      M        M    0.0    0      M
  22.       M    M    M     79   54   66      M        M    0.0    0      M
the 22nd,23rd and 24th were abnormal. The average is really quite reasonable.

unless you know different........



Re: Prevent solar heating (3.00 / 0) (#4)
by zmoz on Wed Jul 28th, 2004 at 12:30:53 AM MST
(User Info)

I don't mean to be rude...but what does that have to do with anything?

[ Parent ]


I don't want to be rude either...... (3.00 / 0) (#5)
by Oilburner on Wed Jul 28th, 2004 at 12:46:31 AM MST
(User Info)

But the point of my post is...............

What is the outside temperature at this moment where you are? At 2:45 EST for everyone to see how hot it is.

Also tell us what the temperature is in your house.

where I am, outside is now 60F and the inside has just hit 78F and the central air kicked in... Go figure.

I KNOW WHY, do you?

[ Parent ]



To clarify my comments....... (3.00 / 0) (#6)
by Oilburner on Wed Jul 28th, 2004 at 01:16:45 AM MST
(User Info)

The key to all this in a well insulated home with a high thermal mass is to get as much solar energy into it as you can in winter, and in summer keep as much solar energy out as you can.

Stupid as it may seem to some I have to turn on the light in my south facing rooms during the day..... ( bedrooms )



Re: Solar cooling? (3.00 / 0) (#7)
by tecker on Wed Jul 28th, 2004 at 01:47:07 AM MST
(User Info)

   The humidity is to low to get th water to evaporate for a swamp cooler .you could make a ammonia gas refigeration rig that's solar driven . There was a post about amonth ago that linked up with that technology .



Re: Solar cooling? (3.00 / 0) (#9)
by zmoz on Wed Jul 28th, 2004 at 01:53:24 AM MST
(User Info)

I think you're a little confused here, evaporative coolers do BEST in dry climates. If it's already humid then the water won't evaporate...

[ Parent ]


Re: Solar cooling? (3.00 / 0) (#8)
by zmoz on Wed Jul 28th, 2004 at 01:50:41 AM MST
(User Info)

Right now it's almost 1:00 AM and it's 79 degrees outside. It's 70 inside because I have the AC on...sucking enough juice to light up a small town. You may think it doesn't get very hot here, but I didn't ask if I SHOULD cool my house. I like it cool.

Let's get back to the main question here. How can I make an evaporative cooler? It seems like it would be a good choice in my climate. (not much humidity, not much temperature drop needed)



Well OK then...... (3.00 / 0) (#10)
by Oilburner on Wed Jul 28th, 2004 at 02:16:08 AM MST
(User Info)

You get a fan.... some of those air conditioner pads and a pump.

What you need to do is blow air through a pad that is wet.

That is the basic mechanics of it.

Does that answer your question?

I really hope so, because my previous answers were how to make it so your house cool in summer so you had to spend less money making it cooler.

You say it is 79F outside now?

If you like cool then move....... it is 69F in Portland

[ Parent ]



Re: Solar cooling? (3.00 / 0) (#16)
by Gary D on Wed Jul 28th, 2004 at 10:18:53 AM MST
(User Info)

Hi zmoz, Old F. supplied a decent link for air cooling a while back, If you're able to do some trenching... I prefer the water version myself- no chance of mold and such. Only juice used could be the pump or a pump and fan..2 of many options...Use it or not...will cool off by December...

Gary D
http://mb-soft.com/solar/savings.html
http://mb-soft.com/solar/alternwa.htm

[ Parent ]



Re: Solar cooling? (3.00 / 0) (#11)
by kurt on Wed Jul 28th, 2004 at 04:44:06 AM MST
(User Info)



hmm has the board degraded to the point that we find it necessary to flame each other??

sad very sad




http://www.reresource.org/

IRC



Re: Solar cooling? (3.00 / 0) (#12)
by wooferhound (tim((NoSpamAt))wooferhound.com) on Wed Jul 28th, 2004 at 09:00:55 AM MST
(User Info) http://wooferhound.com

  Here's a few Ideas to get you started on Almost Free air conditioning . . .

http://mb-soft.com/solar/intake.html

http://techref.massmind.org/techref/other/spac.htm

http://www.bagelhole.org/article.php/Housing/337/

http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumerinfo/heatcool/hc_space_geothermal_types.html

http://solarsensedesigns.com/CoolingBD.htm

http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumerinfo/factsheets/aa1.html

)}=- W o o f -={(



Re: Solar cooling? (3.00 / 0) (#13)
by Xavy on Wed Jul 28th, 2004 at 09:05:01 AM MST
(User Info)

I lived in Colorado and swamp coolers (evaporation coolers) were common there.  The air must be dry and the end affect of using the device is like holding a wet towel out of a car window.  It adds humidity to dry air by passing air quickly through a thin water soaked sponge.  I don't think the things are very healthy unless you clean them daily.

Natural ways to cool is capturing underground coolness, in most areas the year round temperature below frost line is in the low sixties F.  Capturing cold from the bottom of a river or stream may be cost effective.  I think in the solar range of solutions to equal AC you must create ice and then run a closed loop heat exchanger system through the ice.  Here is a site for a solar icemaker http://www.homepower.com/magazine/downloads_homebrews.cfm

If humidity is a problem large quantities of rock salt will suck it up in a heartbeat. I read an article in the Mother Earth News magazine back in the 70's where a guy in TX built a solar AC and had fabricated a large plastic tray on a lazy Suzan.  Half of the tray was in the sun and half in the air intake sucking out the humidity and the tray slowly rotated to continue the process.

Hope this helps!



Re: Solar cooling? (3.00 / 0) (#14)
by JW on Wed Jul 28th, 2004 at 09:13:28 AM MST
(User Info)

Zmoz,

 Perhaps you should consider replacing your wall unit ac's. I have seen 10,000 btu window mount ac's, that run off 120vac. I was looking in last months MSC supply sale magazine and the had these with eer's up to 10. several units priced out around two hundered bucks.

 JW



Re: Solar cooling? (3.00 / 0) (#15)
by Xavy on Wed Jul 28th, 2004 at 09:28:00 AM MST
(User Info)

More afterthoughts  For swamp coolers check with http://www.backwoodssolar.com

I just found an old reference book title Solar Cooling by Paul J. Wilbur, Ph. D and Susumu Karaki, Ph. D published by the Franklin Institute Press ISBN NUMBER 0-89168-001-2.  It contains several system drawings utilizing heat exchangers and heat rejection and tons of math.

Hope this helps!

Xavy



Re: Solar cooling? (3.00 / 0) (#17)
by hiker (hiker.wild[at]yahoo[dot]com) on Thu Jul 29th, 2004 at 05:12:23 AM MST
(User Info)

well if you live in a area that has plenty of water--and your water bill is the same each month[not for the number of gallons you use]--why not hook up a couple of junk
yard car radiators to your cold water supply--then toss a fan behind each one--
should put out a nice cool breeze..you could water the lawn at the same time with
the water coming out of the radiators--just a thought--coolin off up here in ALASKA..
WILD IN ALASKA


Re: Solar cooling? (3.00 / 0) (#18)
by pdvjak on Wed Aug 25th, 2004 at 10:50:21 AM MST
(User Info)

Hi;

I have been looking at (and am now building a prototype for) Zeolite/water adsorption cooling for use in (hot, humid, tropical) Indonesia. In vacuum, dried Zeolite will adsorp water vapor from a connected water container so violently that the water will freeze, and will stay frozen until the Zeolite is saturated with water...Solar heat (or voltage from a PV straight to a heating coil) can 'recharge' the Zeolite, so you can actually store 'cooling power' AND the more sun, the cooler you'll be....

The same can (and has) be done with activated-carbon/methyl and with ammonia/water adsoprtion pairs, but the Zeolite is kinda elegant because it is so eco-friendly (and cheap!).... It is a fairly common mineral, also used in washing powder, animal feed, and soil improvement..

Germany and France have done research in this field, and some products based on Zeolite cooling are on the market (notably a 'self-cooled' beer keg, I kid you not....)...

Not sure how one would make AC out of this, but I reckon that if you can make a bunch of ice from a bunch of sun (the more sun, the more ice you'll have), somehow, you'd feel cooler.... ;)



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