The concept of a solar water heater is simple: use the sun to heat up the water. Black tubing is very good at absorbing sunlight. We just need to pump the water through some black tubing. Of course, that tubing takes up a lot of space, so I prefer to put it on the roof, so [...]
For the past year and a half we’ve been heating our pool with a solar water heater. It pumps the water to the roof, where it runs through black tubes, which absorb as much warmth from the sunlight as possible. This solution has raised our pool temp by about 8˚F. But, it does nothing to [...]
I’ve always disagreed with the money-grubbing policies of the big banks, but they were just too convenient. I use a small credit union for much of my money needs, but I needed some online bill paying services to make my life easier. I heard about the movement to move money out of big banks, but [...]
Now that I’ve realized it’s physically possible for me to actually install solar panels at my house, I now need to figure out the best combination of panels and inverter to meet my needs. Inverters are the devices that convert the DC from the solar cells to the AC of my house. There are many [...]
I’ve always been a big fan of solar electricity. Put some panels on your roof and free electricity pours down the wires each and every sunny day. I live in Southern California where the sun is bright, yet the electricity prices are steep. A great combination to make solar economical. But, I had no idea [...]
The place I moved to in San Marino has a swimming pool, a deck, a grill, outdoor couches, and a kegerator. Everything one would need to throw great summer parties. But, whenever we throw a party, few people jump in the pool. Why? Because it’s much too cold! The beautiful oak trees that shade our [...]
