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Indirect solar gain is one of three methods of passive solar heating, in addition to isolated and direct gain. When solar heat is collected in one area and transferred to another through the process of convection, this is the indirect method.

Here's a rundown of how it works. As with most passive solar heating systems that don't require the use of mechanical pumps or fans, heat is invited indoors through a series of south-facing windows. It is then absorbed through building materials with thermal mass, or the natural capacity to absorb heat. These materials include masonry walls or floors. When placed in a container, water can be even more effective than masonry or concrete in that it exchanges heat more quickly. Water walls and roof ponds are examples of how water containers can be used for indirect solar gain. These are described below.

I have found an ambitious company that is trying to deliver what look to be very forward thinking products to the marketplace of solar energy. Solaroad Technologies Group, LLC. plans to release their ElectraWallTM product in the next six months and they have even more revolutionary products on the rise for coming years in their SolarFilm, SolarBuilder, and SunStar Automotive.

Here is a snippet from their PR on the ElectraWall product:

The ElectraWall TM (Status: US Patent Pending) Autonomous Power System is a light harvesting electrical generator and accumulator providing on-demand power. The system is designed to demonstrate the methodology and application of a low cost, zero carbon footprint, renewable, green, Prime Energy Source.

The ElectraWallTM System is designed to provide a realistic hardware platform which makes use of pre-existing infrastructure. It is capable of revolutionizing the US power grid, enabling an Independent Power Producer (IPP) to generate electricity and rout the excess into the electric utility grid. The System is capable of collecting and storing energy from various outdoor locations, such as rooftops, highway infrastructures, light poles, decks, and fences. It can also be used as a back-up generator for institutions, business buildings, and residential communities.

The ElectraWallTM System allows our customers to reduce (watt shave) the electricity purchased from the utility company or completely remove their business/home, facility, etc. from the electrical grid, reducing carbon footprints while drastically reducing electric bills or selling electricity back to the utility company. In addition, ElectraWall customers will receive credit on their electric bills for returning energy to the grid.

The ElectraWallTM System is different than any other photovoltaic system available today. The patented cylindrical design of the system takes advantage of global sunlight and is not dependent on the sun’s angle of incidence and therefore does not require direct sunlight to function. ElectraWall devices will never have to be motorized to “follow the sun.”

Imagine if their technology works, power from cubicle to run computers and lights, power from the roads we drive on and the materials to create houses that generate energy from all the materials coating the outside of the house. Sounds dream like but it could come to be and then wouldn't we have a building revolution?

Energy Tags: wind+power" rel="tag">wind power, solar energy

solar attic fan is the ultimate simple and cost effective solution for a well known problem that many home owners are facing every day. Moisture and mold destroys slowly but effectively the house infrastructure. Solar attic fan can fight this irritating problem.

You are well familiar with the fact that hot air is lighter then cold air and therefore goes up. During the day, the sun hit your walls and roof, this heat inside your house is aggregated and eventually is trapped in your attic which is the highest place in your house and this hot energy has nowhere to go.

That trapped heat in your attic is "great" condition to moisture and the development of mold. If you have an attic solar fan then it will "push" away all the trapped hot air and helps the humidity to spread away and will remove all those optimal conditions to any mold development.

An expanding global demand has fueled one of the longest booms in America's oil & gas business. We are now seeing gas and oil rigs closer to residential developments leading to the challenging issue of noise control. Sound barrier walls are aesthetically acceptable, and provide a welcome solution for production companies and affected landowners alike.

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The price that Wall Street futures investors pay for a barrel of crude oil has shot up to near $90. That means you can expect to pay even more for your next purchase of Heating Oil.

The items listed below are in priority order for action to reduce the amount of oil you use.

1. Stop drafts - at windows, doors and the fireplace.

2. Insulate the attic - Make sure you have enough insulation to give you at least R-49 protection for your money.

3. Have your furnace cleaned and tuned up by a professional. Oil furnaces are very rugged and will burn oil and put out heat even when they are running at poor efficiency. A dirty, out of tune oil furnace can operate with a combustion efficiency as low as 60%. Just by cleaning and tuning the combustion efficiency can be brought up to 75% or more. That is a 25 cents on the dollar improvement in oil use. The furnace pro will also be doing a safety check to insure that a faulty furnace will not cause fire or carbon monoxide poisoning

4. Back down your thermostat at every opportunity. Especially at night and when no one is home.

5. Make sure your house walls are well insulated including basement walls.

6. Change or wash your furnace filter every month during the heating season. A blocked air filter drastically reduces airflow and increases the amount of time your furnace has to run to keep the house warm. This is a do it yourself job. Have the furnace pro show you how when he visits.

7. Be ready to switch to electric heat. As the price of oil goes up, at some point it will be less expensive to heat with electric power using space heaters. I suggest you buy a few electric space heaters when you can find them at bargain prices so you will be ready. As example, Oil at $3.09 a gallon is equal to electric power at 8 cents a kilowatt-hour for heating use. If you live where the price electricity is moderate, you may want to use space heaters to supplement your oil heat. Using an electric space heater to keep your bedroom warm and let the rest of the house go cold overnight will save on your total heating bill. My wife uses an electric space heater in the bathroom during her morning shower and that is good because it puts heat just where it is needed, for a short time.

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