Some Ideas For Low-cost Solar Energy Alternatives

With the increasing cost of electricity, many homeowners are now searching for low cost energy sources to cut down on their utility bills

. A number of renewable energy alternatives have emerged in the past few years to address this need, including wind power and solar energy. But solar energy continues to be expensive due to the high cost of manufacturing solar cells. This does not mean, however, that you can't use the power of the sun affordably to cut down on your energy use. Here are a few suggestions for low-cost solar energy alternatives.

You can make your own low-cost solar energy-powered water heater by using the grill from the back of an old refrigerator as a heat collector. To do this, cut off the grill at the base, making sure first that all the coolant has been drained off. Then, put the grill in a frame with a discarded door mat as backing. Put glass on top of the frame to keep the heat inside the grill. Then attach hoses to the grill to serve as entry and exit ports for the water to be heated. Install the solar heater in a place where it will receive plenty of sun, then put one end of the hose into a cold bucket of water and the other end to an empty bucket that will receive the hot water. Be careful, the water produced by the heater can be scalding.

You can also make a low-cost solar energy oven that can cook hotdogs. You will need two cardboard boxes, aluminum foil, black spray paint and white glue. To make it, first tape shut the top flats on the larger box, then cut a hole in it to place the smaller box inside. Then decide how big you want the oven to be (it should be deep enough to accommodate your biggest pot) and cut the sides of the inner box up to that height. Glue aluminum foil to the inside of the boxes. Then make a drip pan using a piece of cardboard pasted with aluminum foil on one side and painted black; place this at the bottom of the oven to absorb the solar energy. Finally, make a removable lid for the oven that will also serve as a reflector flap; to make this flap, cut a rectangle on the lid on three sides roughly as big as the oven opening, then paste aluminum foil on it to reflect the sunlight radiated from inside the oven back onto your pots. Cover the opening on the lid with a plastic oven cooking bag.

You can cook virtually any food with your solar oven, even cakes; just remember to use dark pots that will absorb more solar energy. Cooking with solar energy also takes longer than cooking with conventional methods so be patient. However, exact timing of cooking times is not essential with a solar oven.

With just a little experimentation, you'll soon be an expert solar chef and enjoy delicious slow cooked food with enhanced flavor.

by: Robert Mcdonough

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