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A solar updraft tower is a hybrid solar/wind generator that works on the principal of convection. Air under the glass is heated by the sun and begins to rise. The air is then forced into the tower intake where it drives one or more wind turbines that generate electricity.
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A solar wall is an efficient way to heat buildings as well as introduce fresh air into the space. The solar wall is a passive system that creates a cavity between the exterior of a building and the outside environment. The air in the cavity is confined and heated by the shining of the sun on its outside surfaces. the heated air then rises through ducts into the building's HVAC system where it is blended with warm air already in the system thus reducing demand on the system's heating requirements.
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Thermal mass, this is another passive solar collection method. This method reclaims old tires to form walls. The tires are packed tightly with dirt to create a thermal mass that are heated by the sun and will stabilize interior temperatures. In summer months the sun is high in the sky and its rays are blocked from the wall thus interior temperatures will be maintained at near ground temperatures. In winter is when this design begins to shine. The sun is lower in the sky where it shines onto the surface of the wall causing its temperature to rise, the mass of the walls will dissipate that heat through the night maintaining a stable interior temperature.
There are amazing uses for passive solar that offer energy savings in terms of lower required grid-power consumption. Many of these offer the added benefit of having a smaller carbon footprint by taking advantage of materials that are considered waste. In these cases the tires offer both structural stability and a relatively high thermal capacity and retention to maintain temperatures for long periods of time. Discarded soda cans can also be up-cycled into solar collectors because of their extreme ability to transfer heat that creates efficient supplemental heating that can lower requirements on heating systems.