Solar heater for my Garage

I doubt that it will work. When you look at the numbers involved you will likely find that the size of the panel required to give you any useful energy for an application like that, will not be practically achievable.

If you have no mains power to your garage a better option might be a diesel space heater.  They start at 2 kW and get bigger. They are safe, efficient and the exhaust can be managed so it doesn't stink out the shed.  Mine cost a cuppla hundred bucks.

Depending on the architecture of the setup a direct heat system might work too involving hollow black heat absorbing panels that are in the sun using air as the heat transfer medium.

@mark-bolton

Posted by: @mark-bolton

I doubt that it will work. When you look at the numbers involved you will likely find that the size of the panel required to give you any useful energy for an application like that, will not be practically achievable.

[snip]

Totally agree with you on that!

@sav

In the past, I have seen many people use tubes (even coke cans), painted it flat black paint to absorb sunlight, where these tubes are encased inside a frame that is fabricated like a solar panel.  People generally hook up a small solar panel to run a small fan to pump in the heated air, and I have seen people obtain some pretty good results, even in snowy areas.

Google/YouTube solar panels/heating with coke cans etc... ;should turn up some good results 😉

Cheers.

@frogandtoad  Yes but what you have to do is work the numbers... There is your Latitude and the prevailing insolation at your spot on the planet. (I can send you the links) .. the numbers dictate what you can get a solar system to do and what it wont.

I have been Off Grid for 7 years . When I first found myself in the position where I was not in a position to chose the Kleen Green ....

My house had just burned down in a wild fire, I was in my house and by a miracle escaped with my life ..I watched my home burn and then the fire came for me..

My insurance "shit the tin" so my only option was to buy a truck with the few dollars I had left and go "off Grid" ...

So I am not making a "pity me" point ..in fact quite the contrary.  When I build a new system in my truck I am living in a building site.  I have to sleep where  my building efforts left off last.

This lack of engineering rigor you exhibit will bite into your resources if you persist with this ceaselessness ..

"Oh it seems that Coke Cans can extract ..those waves ..you know that energy ...from the sky .." 

Not sure how to sign off politely ... but are Australians required to be polite?

Gosh ...

Kindest Mark

Posted by: @mark-bolton

@frogandtoad  Yes but what you have to do is work the numbers... There is your Latitude and the prevailing insolation at your spot on the planet. (I can send you the links) .. the numbers dictate what you can get a solar system to do and what it wont.

I have been Off Grid for 7 years . When I first found myself in the position where I was not in a position to chose the Kleen Green ....

My house had just burned down in a wild fire, I was in my house and by a miracle escaped with my life ..I watched my home burn and then the fire came for me..

My insurance "shit the tin" so my only option was to buy a truck with the few dollars I had left and go "off Grid" ...

So I am not making a "pity me" point ..in fact quite the contrary.  When I build a new system in my truck I am living in a building site.  I have to sleep where  my building efforts left off last.

This lack of engineering rigor you exhibit will bite into your resources if you persist with this ceaselessness ..

 

"Oh it seems that Coke Cans can extract ..those waves ..you know that energy ...from the sky .." 

 

Not sure how to sign off politely ... but are Australians required to be polite?

Gosh ...

 

Kindest Mark

Not exactly sure what numbers you're alluding to and why... all I was suggesting is that there are ways to provide some simple cost effective heating, such as the following:

DIY Solar heating

You can sign off in any way you please cobba! 😉

Cheers.

@frogandtoad There is a set of numbers that come from the sky .. The key work is "Insolation"

That link you gave contributes nothing. No numbers.. just some breathless you tuber being enthusiastic about an array of solar absorbers and PV array that wouldn't do very much.

But any way I feel like I am being sucked into a Salad Fingers  butchery session and will not reply to any one that seems naff...

Thanks awfully ..

M

Posted by: @mark-bolton

@frogandtoad There is a set of numbers that come from the sky .. The key work is "Insolation"

That link you gave contributes nothing. No numbers.. just some breathless you tuber being enthusiastic about an array of solar absorbers and PV array that wouldn't do very much.

But any way I feel like I am being sucked into a Salad Fingers  butchery session and will not reply to any one that seems naff...

Thanks awfully ..

M

Oh I see... 'naff' is a UK thing... so is awfully...

Good for you 😉

Sorry Mate,

what I posted was rude and intemperate.

The point I was trying to make is that Electronics and Process Control is like the thread that holds together the cloth of Nature that we use to fashion garments and useful machines. 

No amount of wishful thinking will change the "cloth" of Nature.  In order to be able to wrangle Nature you first need to understand at an elemental level what she is and what she is not.

Electronics can only put a bridal on those elemental forces. (pun intended)

Regards

M

P.S. As to those "numbers" Jim Pytel is a good place to start.

Very sound theoretician as well as a sound practical spanner spinning man.

HTH

M

A really disappointing exchange of "ideas".  A great example of why people quit forums.There are lots of wacky inventions on the net and nothing wrong with discussing them. That flat panel one is brilliant, if it fits AND if the sun stays out long enough. Using a couple of tonnes of water as a solar thermal battery is also nice if you have the room for it and some vacuum tubes for a little efficiency improvement.A small wood burning stove  can work, if you have the wood. Diesel and gas work well but don't let your greenie neighbors know. The latter are ideal for convenience and even work well for a large garage, a gas bottle and a small camping heater for a small garage would be my choice. I have tried all of these at different times. Did someone say "insulation", yes it helps.