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Solar Air Conditioning is Good For the Environment
You may not have heard of the great idea that's solar air conditioning yet. Despite the fact that this system is simple and easy to implement, it's been overlooked for a long time. However, with concerns over energy use and the environment, this idea is probably going to get a lot more popular. It works by combining the time when we most often need air conditioning – the summer – with the season that gets the most direct sunlight. Solar air conditioning uses free solar energy to help keep the air inside a building cool and pleasant, without harm to the environment. Here's how.
There are actually two ways to cool and ventilate a building using sunlight. The first is passive solar cooling – using the light of the sun to help move air without the use of a motor. The second is active, or direct solar air conditioning. This method uses a more conventional air conditioner, but operates it on solar power. Either method will provide cool air, but direct solar air conditioning cools the air more. However, it's a little more complicated than the passive system.
Passive solar air conditioning is a type of natural ventilation. It's done using a dark colored solar chimney. Because of the design of this chimney, warm air enters through the bottom, and rises up to exit the top of the chimney. Combine this with an open window, and you can get a cool, brisk breeze through your structure without use of even a fan. However, including a solar chimney in a building that's already been built may require lots of remodeling. It's a great addition to the plans for buildings that haven't been built, or those that are going to be extensively restructured anyway, but not as practical for most homes.
Direct solar air conditioning works by plugging into an existing active solar system. Technically, you could use any air conditioner this way, but few are energy efficient, and most run on AC power. Since the majority of active solar systems require DC appliances, that's a problem. Also, a higher efficiency means that you get more cooling for the amount of power required. Active solar air conditioners are designed to use a lot less power than their conventional cousins. That makes some of them more expensive at first, but it's not really a high cost when you consider how much you'll save over time. There are also portable, wheeled versions of some direct solar air conditioning units that can be moved around and operated remotely for as much as twelve hours at a time.
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