Solar cooling, to be sure, is an oxymoron, but it is possible because solar energy is both capable of providing winter warmth and cooling you down in the summer.
Just like there have been many passive heating systems, passive cooling systems have also been tested out extensively in recent years. How does it work? There are cooling agents that can suck in the heat and expel it as a coolant. Even a water tank or water-contained trough on the roof can act as a coolant, absorbing heat from the house and then dissipating it while it automatically evaporates under the sun.
Apart from these simple methods, there are also some passive solar cooling systems which are more sophisticated and a bit more complex. These systems make use of a shaded solar collector, to start with. There would also be a storage device used in the mornings and afternoons as well to collect sunlight to be used after the sun goes down. In order to release the heat that had been collected, the shade is removed in the evening, thus exposing it to the cooler, fresher evening breeze.
A retractable sun blind would act as a perfect shade for your solar collector, or if not that, an extended shade. You need to be able to cover your solar collector just as well as you can expose it, because this is, after all, a temporary arrangement that will go the other way around in the winter time.
You can also use solar panels to operate your average, everyday air conditioning system. Solar panels are a great idea especially in the summer, because the sun shines the brightest during these hot months, making it the perfect opportunity to create electricity with photovoltaic, or PV cells. So if you use solar panels to yield enough electricity, you can use your air conditioner totally free of cost.
Yet another potential option is solar cooling which does not depend on technology. We would need to go back to earlier Roman civilizations, who used running water as a means to cool their homes. As you can guess, the water evaporates under the sun, thereby dissipating heat and soothing the inner temperatures. It is possible to replicate this on the rooftops and walls of your home.
Most Americans spend a great deal of money on their electric bills in the summer and winter months due to the expenses of cooling and heating. All the means of solar cooling we have discussed can come in handy, as you reap the benefits through lower electric bills, more reasonable temperatures inside your home, and the fact that you’re going green in doing so.
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