How to Build a Solar Heat Panel

One of the best and simplest solar heat panels you can build is a solar water heating panel. This task can be accomplished by building an extremely simple solar collector around a PVC pipe radiator. This will allow cold water passing from your water tank through the radiator to be heated by the Sun. Once the water is hot, it flows up through the system by the process of thermosiphoning and is deposited into the water tank.

Things You'll Need

• 3-1/2-foot by 7-1/2-foot piece of plywood
• 3-1/2-foot by 7-1/2-foot piece of sheet metal
• 3-1/2-foot by 7-1/2-foot piece of Plexiglas
• Around 21 feet of 3/4-inch by 3/4-inch wood molding to
• 64 1/2-inch PVC T-fittings
• 62 1/2-inch PVC pipe connectors
• 2 1/2-inch PVC caps
• 32 3-1/4-foot long 1/2-inch thick pieces of PVC pipe
• 32 3-foot fluorescent light-bulbs
• 10 1/2-inch pipe clamps
• Box of wood screws
• Aluminum duct tape
• Extra PVC pipe to reach from the solar collector to the water tank twice.
• Silicone caulk
• Flat black spray paint

Instructions

Building Collector

1. Lay the sheet metal over the plywood and trim off any excess metal hanging over the wood.

2. Use the 3/4-inch by 3/4-inch wood molding to construct a frame around the perimeter of the plywood and sheet metal. Screw the frame into place over the sheet metal so that is holds the sheet metal down flush against the plywood.

3. Cut a 1/2-inch notch at the top right-hand and bottom left-hand corners of the frame for the intake and outflow connections to and from the water tank.

4. Spray paint all of the surfaces of the collector that will be receiving solar exposure flat black.

Building Radiator

1. Make two corresponding rows of 32 with the 64 T-fittings so that the bottom parts of the corresponding T-fittings are facing each other. This way you can connect a strait lengths of PVC pipe between two rows. Connect each T-fitting to its neighboring with a 1/2-inch PVC connector.

2. Use the PVC caps to close the left most opening of the top row of T-fittings and the right most opening of the bottom row of T-fittings.

3. Remove the ends from all of the fluorescent bulbs. Spray paint the bulbs flat black.

4. Carefully push each 3-1/4-inch length of PVC pipe through a bulb so that it sticks out of the bulb about 1/4-inch on both sides. Connect each pipe/bulb configuration between two corresponding T-fittings to form what should look like a radiator with an intake at the bottom left and an outflow at the top right.

5. Wrap any exposed PVC pipe with aluminum duct tape and then spray paint the entire structure flat black.

Assembly

1. Place the radiator inside the frame of the solar collector and secure it to the plywood with pipe clamps. You may not need to use all 10 clamps.

2. Position and secure the solar collectors so that it is angled downward about 35 degrees and so that the top of the collector is flush with the top of your water tank.

3. Run a pipe from the bottom of the water tank to the bottom intake of the radiator and from the top outflow of the radiator to the top of the water tank.

4. Cover the radiator with Plexiglas and secure it to the frame of the collector with screws. Seal the edges with silicone caulk.

References

• Teaters: Homemade Solar Water Heater < $300
• Mother Earth News: A Homemade Solar Water Heater
• Home Power Magazine: Solar Hot Water Basics

Resources

• Backwoods Home Magazine: Solar Hot Water Systems