THERE'S A SOLAR HEATED HOUSE ALIVE AND WELL IN PRESCOTT ARIZONA

(Page 5 of 5)

July/August 1975
By the Mother Earth News editors 
Article Tools
Print
Comments
RSS
Bookmark and Share

In short, then, we do have more tests to run on the Grieve installation: If I were to sum up our experiment to date, however, I'd say that the Prescott house solar system has performed beyond our expectations. Its cost-based on going market prices for labor, material, and profit-was about $8,300 almost equally divided into thirds for collection, storage, and air handling.

RELATED CONTENT

On the whole, of course, retrofitted systems-such as this one which must be tailored to an existing structure, are more costly to install than systems which are integrated into a building right from the first rough architectural rendering. I believe, for instance, that significant savings could have been made in our expenses for air handling if we'd originally designed the floor and roof joists in the Grieve house to act as ducts and distribution manifolds.

It's also more expensive when using an air/rock system as we did-to position the collector above the heat storage bins. If we'd had the option of planning this residence to fit the solar heater (instead of the other way around), I'm sure we'd have placed the collector below so that a very natural, simple, and low-cost convection current (heat rises, you know) from the heat-gathering unit could warm the insulated storage boxes. Another improvement (which should solve our static pressure problem) might be the redesign of the air-moving system so that collected heat is pulled across-rather than along the length of-the rock-filled boxes.

Still, we can't complain too much. Warts and all, our first solar heating installation is working a lot better than we had hoped.

Page: << Previous 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Bookmark and Share
RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print

Comments

Add Your Comment

Please note that there is currently a problem with the comments function and your comment may or may not post successfully. We are working to correct the problem and thank you for your patience. 

You can use this comment form to enter your personal experiences or additional information and resources that you'd like to share with Mother Earth News readers. Your helpful advice will be posted on this page.  E-mail addresses are never displayed on comments, but they are required to confirm your comments.

Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br> tags.

New to Mother Earth News?
Sign up to share comments.
Asterisks(*) indicate required fields.
Name*
Your name appears next to your comment.

E-mail Address*
This will be your login ID.

City State Zip Code

Password*


Confirm Password*

Comments
1500 character limit (Offensive materials and/or spam will be removed, no HTML allowed)
Please Note: Your sign-up must be verified via e-mail before your comment is published.
FEATURED ARTICLES
MOST POPULAR


Subscribe Today - Pay Now & Save 66% Off the Cover Price

First Name: *
 Last Name: *
Address: *
 City: *
State/Province: *
 Zip/Postal Code:*
Country:
 Email:*
(* indicates a required item)
Canadian subs: 1 year, (includes postage & GST). Foreign subs: 1 year, . U.S. funds.
Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
Non US and Canadian Subscribers - Click Here

Lighten the Strain on the Earth and Your Budget

Mother Earth News is the guide to living — as one reader stated — “with little money and abundant happiness.” Every issue is an invaluable guide to leading a more sustainable life, covering ideas from fighting rising energy costs and protecting the environment to avoiding unnecessary spending on processed food. You’ll find tips for slashing heating bills; growing fresh, natural produce at home; and more. Mother Earth News helps you cut costs without sacrificing modern luxuries.

At Mother Earth News, we are dedicated to conserving our planet’s natural resources while helping you conserve your financial resources. That’s why we want you to save money and trees by subscribing through our Earth-Friendly automatic renewal savings plan. By paying with a credit card, you save an additional $4.95 and get 6 issues of Mother Earth News for only $10.00 (USA only).

You may also use the Bill Me option and pay $14.95 for 6 issues.