HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1979-08-16, Page 23BY USE GONBY.
With:the combined threat*, whether real
Pr. exaggerated, of a nuclear holocaust or
gas. is and oil supplies running dry, energy
i as been the :irritant of the 1970's.
One attractive and apparently viable
alternative for the future is solar energy,
and Barry Mahon, 0.4417 farmer, kg our
kxsel pioneer.
Barry, his wife, Karen, and .their sons, '
Scott and Mark, live With of Dublin, in a
horse Barry built in 1974, In addition to a
thriving garden, they have on their
property a solar panel, which measures 20
feet highand 60 feet long, for, a total area.
el 1,20 square feet,
Since its construction three years ago,
the solar system has provided the Mahon
fan* with enough hot water for the
summer, and approximately 50 per centof
their winter heat.
The system requires virtually no main
tenance, and was installed. for a total cost
ar $3,500.00,
On the day I.visited,, the weather was wet,
and coos, the sky overcast. But the system,
self -activated, was working and as: 1
approached the towering panel, I could
hear the water trickling; down the incline.
and being funnelled into, the basement.
Although the system is usually non-fun-
ctional in January and February became of
the lackof sunny days, iin 1977 Barry
recorded a water temperature of° 105
degrees :Fahrenheit. In June of the same,
year, the water reached 120 degrees.
Fahrenheit.
I$ solar energy economical at this point?
The system *n Bary' home hasn4 paid for
itself, but, said Barry, "Alexander Graham
Bell; didn't make 10 cents qn his first call."
But across the road, at the borne of
Barry's father,Ban, is a solar heated
swimming pool which was also installed
three years ago.
Thewater maintains a steady 80-83.
:degrees F temperature throughout the
;summer,; On the return line from the
Circular pump a line is run to a solar panel.
It cost $200 to install, and has been a "real
saving,"' said Barry,
People have spent as much toheat a
pool in the summer as they do to heat their
house in the wintertime," he said.
Hydro charges 8 cents for the first 750
kilowatts of power used, and 2 cents for the
following 1,500 kilowatts, said Barry, As a
result, he's just saving. on the smaller 2
cent portion. ;But: he is saving.
NO HARM`
"It's not a question of whether the 'oil: is,
'short or not, it's, the high price," he said.
In addition, '.'solar beat doesn't do any
harm to the atmosphere."
When he fust` looked for ways to heat his
house,; he was also considering wind
Power. But there was more literature
describing solar techniques.
"It intrigued me to be able to use the
sun," said Barry.. So, improvising and
i nprovfing what he had learned to suit.
weather conditions and other factors, he
did.
Barry's solar panel is. free-standing
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'rather than attaehed; to the roof of his
house. His Materials ,came from the local'
lumber .store and are cheaper than the
apmmercial :solar panels,
The structure was erected'; at the' east
side of hishouse to Prpvide some
protection from the prevailing west Winds,
One end was elevated. to .make the most of
the law of gravity. ,lt is .angled: at 5
degrees to minimize snow ,collection.
Approaching the front of the sticture„
the first layeris made ofexcelite fiberglass
panels- Behind these is a lalet of ordinary
THE
mrrool
107.
roofing, steel painted flat :,Welt, which.
al/sorbs the light from the sun and creates.
heat, :Behind: the black steel is a .layer ;of
plastic, 3'4 laches.:of fiberglass insulation,
1 inch; of stryofoant insular ori, and a layer
barn boards.
WATER WOWED
Water isumped from a storaBe tank in
the basement to the top of the panel. The
.
pipe carrying the water containss; 327 holes
which allow the water to •trickle down the
entire length of the panel. The water .is:
warned, ,collected: in an eavestrough, and
carried back into the basement blr the forcer
of gravity.
The hot water in the tank heats • the
square, insulated' Loom ;and in turn is
circulated through' U. house v;<a, the
regular furnace duct network.
(Barry has a furnace for additional beat
in the winter, and, 1 noticed, a fireplace.)
Inside the 5,000 gallon basement tank is
a 30 gailon pressure tank. Cold water from
the well enters this :Pull : interior tank and.
h. heated, by the larger body,- Fromthis,
smaller
smaller tank the water goes to the elm
hot water heater to be topped off (eg_ , water
heated toles) .degrees F solar, and pushe d
to ;120 degrees by the water heater.t„
SWr'CH' OFF
Poring, the summer, the electric water
heater can be shut off, and straight solar
heated water can be used.
17,44y 1 .. had only one l .whit '
The h'lack oc the Mel ill
fix. l
beghttook to. peel off due to the: beat.. A.
better' poet i eeeded,, Patrxy, The: -
ex ' t., e l� will weer et some P
cen
said, but hav n't yet.: The only poor
mechanism thdt may need .replatilAttglittr
day is the pump which takes watet 01.41oo
the :panel,
'When ,asked whether oppoaitio i :to
nuclear .er ergy spultred. bis solar experi-.
IWtit, Dry replied, "I'm- net. anta.aay-
thin8 l.,,, y . 1 ust feel strongl *brat, solar,
believe it will work!!
"Some go out and demonstrate against
nuciear pe wer" and ethers go out and find'
an :alternate source l'm oneof the ones
finding an alternate source." r
"+What bothers me," said Barry, "is.'that
nobody titworking on it veal► touch."
THE MAHON FAMILY—(right to, left) Barry Mahon, sons Mark and
Scott, and wife Karen at their home built by Barry
and heated partially by solar energy.
Solar home picture Page 24
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