The problem I set out to solve was, heating your home without the use of expensive, non eco friendly options like natural gas.

Solar Furnace Background Research

What is solar energy

Solar energy is one of the cleanest energy sources you can use. Solar energy is any energy generated by the sun. There are three main ways to harness solar energy for example photovoltaic cells or PV. PV cells work by absorbing light and knocking electron lose the loose electrons create an electric field that is absorbed by wires in the cell. Photovoltaic cells are the most common cell that you see and is what you think of when someone says solar panels.  You can also concentrate on solar power and lastly there is solar heating and cooling. Solar heating and cooling works by the sun hitting a dark material on the top of the system under the dark panel. On top there are a few pipes that have cool water circulating in them the dark panel on top absorbs then heats up the water.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Some advantages of solar energy include its cheapness after installation. Although it is cheap after installation it is expensive to have it installed. In  Alberta homeowners that put in a solar roof get solar rebates, solar rebates are the government paying you for putting in a solar voltaic system. In Canada your rebate is a dollar per watt you produce.  Solar systems are very expensive to install, Photovoltaic (pv) systems cost on average $3.34/watt or 25,050. This price has gone up since 2021 when it was at $3.01/watt.

What Can Solar Energy Be Used For

Solar energy can be used in five main ways, Solar heating, solar water heating, solar electricity, solar ventilation and solar lighting. There are a few main applications for each use of solar energy, for example solar ventilation is used to remove hot air and improve air quality in large buildings like warehouses and factories. Solar water heating is used instead of a hot water tank and solar heating could potentially replace your furnace. Solar energy has lots of applications and could potentially replace fossil fuels in the future.

Solar Energy on an Industrial Scale

Solar energy is also used on an industrial scale. Industrial solar energy is produced on solar farms. Solar farms are large plots of land covered in solar arrays. These solar arrays cover very large areas, some even get up to 56 square kilometers but solar fields/farms aren't measured in square kilometers they are measured in capacity for example the biggest solar field is in India and it is 2,245 megawatts.  Solar farms usually sell the energy to energy providers to feed into the power grid which is then used to power your home. 

Why solar is the future       

For many convincing reasons, solar energy is being heralded as the clean energy of the future. First of all, solar energy is a renewable resource, which means that natural reserves won't run out while it is used. Contrast this with finite fossil fuels, which are depleting quickly and greatly contribute to environmental damage.

Second, solar energy has exceptional environmental friendliness and sustainability. Without releasing any pollutants, greenhouse gasses, or other hazardous consequences linked to conventional energy sources, solar panels generate power. Because of the substantial reduction in carbon footprint, solar energy is an essential tool in the fight against climate change. Solar power is becoming a more practical and appealing choice for homes, businesses, and governments alike as technology develops and solar panels become more affordable and efficient.  

1. Gather materials
2. Take the sheet of plywood and cut out a 2x5 feet sheet 
3. Take one of your two by fours and cut two five feet sections
4. Now cut 4 21 inch sections from the 2x4s 
5. Lay your two longer 2x4s on the long sides of the plywood and lay your shorter 2x4s on the shorter sides
6. They should fit perfectly together
7. After all the 2x4s are placed in the right spot apply a thin layer of wood glue to the ends of the short 2x4s place the short 2x4s  back in there spot 
8. Clamp the 2x4 frame together for five minutes then with it still clamped take eight long deck screws, and using the drill screw in two deck screws on each side of the long 2x4 where the long 2x4 meets the short 2x4 at a ninety degree angle. ( make sure to drill pilot holes before screwing in the deck screws or else the screws could crack the frame).
9. Repeat with the bottom smaller 2x4
10. Take your last two 2x4s and drill 8 2 inch in diameter hole symmetrically and spaced evenly in the 2x4 
11. Repeat step 10 with fourth short 2x4
12. Place the short 2x4s with holes on either side of the frame so the are standing up touching both sides of the frame
13. Make sure there is a 10 inch gap between the bottom of the frame and your short 2x4 with holes same with the top 10 inch gap between the top of the frame and the short 2x4 with holes
14. No, using the deck screws and glue wood glue Using the same method as you did, when making the frame drill, pilot holes and glue and screw in the short two by fours with holes into the frame
15. Take fiberglass insulation and line all of the solar furnace with it 
16. Grab all of your soda cans
17. One by one use a can opener to open the tops of every single soda can
18. No, using a drill press or hand drill drill, a 1.5 inch hole in diameter on the bottom of every single can
19.  
20. Take all of your cans one by one and start by stacking them in the holes of your short two by fours with holes and using the silicone glue them all together standing up so all the holes lineup and using put in all your cans and line them up to the top. Make sure you do it one by one, so they’re straight.
21. Repeat with the other Eight holes in the two small short, 2 x 4
22. Take some spray foam and fill all the gaps in between your columns of cans
23. Now spray paint all the cans, fiberglass and foam black
24. Using short deck screws, take a your small solar powered computer fan and screwed into the gap between the top short 2 x 4 with holes and the top of the frame
25. Make sure the fan is blowing from the left side of the frame going towards the right side of the frame
26. Now drill a small hole in the very back of your solar furnace by your computer fan so you can run the wire of your computer fan out to the solar panel outside of your solar furnace
27. Run the wire out through the small hole. You just drilled and connected to the solar panel outside of your solar furnace.
28. Take that silicone sealant and run along every 2 x 4 in your solar furnace that will come into contact with your plexiglass. This will make sure for a tight seal.
29. Place your plexiglass over the solar furnace and mark where you need to cut your plexiglass to make it fit perfectly, and flush over top of the solar furnace
30. After you cut your plexiglass, put it over top on top of your silicone and using button head screws and rubber washers screw in the plexiglass onto the frame
31. After silicone is cured then wrap the edges of your solar furnace with a heat proof duct tape.
32. Drill a hole on the opposite side from your computer fan the width of your portable ac duct 
33. Take the input connector of your ac duct and screw it into the hole you just drilled
34. Attach the metal duct to the input connector
35. Your solar furnace is complete all you have to do is put it in the sun.

    Observations

    The solar furnace got up to 56 degrees celsius while outside it was -38 so there was a 94 degree difference. The pink panther insulation foam started to melt on the outside of the cans while the spray foam didn't. The solar panel needed to be in full sunlight for the cpu fan to blow hard enough to get air flowing. Also some heat escaped from the back of the furnace where the wire for the fan went through. The inside of the lexan started to fog up a little as well as warp from the heat. The silicon sealer split from the wood after a while.

Analysis 

My solar furnace performed well under extreme temperatures, Especially when it was under full sun. I expected that it would heat up to maybe one or two degrees celsius  but it got way hotter than I expected. I thought because of how cold it was outside that it would maybe get to the positives but it made it all the way to the fifties. This innovation proves that on a larger scale solar energy could potentially be a way to heat your house.

Real World Applications

Some real world applications include space heating basements that don't get enough heat in the winter. Others include greenhouse temperature control and garage heating in the winter. You could scale this up as much as you want to heat bigger spaces and you could also have multiple to heat multiple areas around your house or shed or anywhere that needs heating.  It could also be used where conventional heating sources like electricity and fires/furnaces aren't available. 

Conclusion

As our world is transitioning from fossil fuels to a more clean and sustainable energy, solar could potentially become a major role in electricity production and water heating. My solar furnace is a very sustainable way to heat your home. For example it uses recycled wood and recycled cans as well as a solar panel to power the fan. Other things that could be added to a solar powered  home is a solar powered oven or solar powered water heating. This project was an overall success. It has the potential to heat our whole basement which in the winter is absolutely frigid. Solar energy will become a key role in power generating power and it already plays a role in everyday life.

Sources of Error

• Human error 
• Foam wasn't rated hot enough 
• First solar panel melted
• Hole at the back for the fan wires let out some heat 

Next time I would use fiberglass sheeting to insulate it as well as spray foam also I would start with the solar panel on the outside. Lastly I would fill the gap in the back with silicon.  

• Urban, R. (2023, September 4). Cost of Solar Power In Canada 2023. Retrieved from https://www.energyhub.org/cost-solar-power-canada/

• Connaughton, J. (2023, May 15). The difference between Industrial-Scale Solar Power plant and solar for home and business. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/difference-between-industrial-scale-solar-power-plant-connaughton

• Chariot Energy. (2022, October 20). Solar Farms: What Are They & How Do They Work? | Chariot Energy. Retrieved from https://chariotenergy.com/chariot-university/solar-farms/

• Photovoltaics. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/photovoltaics

• Wikipedia contributors. (2023, November 10). Photovoltaics. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photovoltaics

• Student Energy. (2015, May 17). Solar Photovoltaics 101 [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl5tY5Noacc

• Wikipedia contributors. (2023, September 27). Bhadla Solar Park. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhadla_Solar_Park

• Admin. (2023, November 20). Solar 101 - A Beginner's Guide to Understanding Solar - Forme Solar. Forme Solar. https://formesolar.com/solar-101-a-beginners-guide/

• Home. (n.d.). https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home.html

I would like to thank my dad for all of his help, both in the designing and building of this project. I couldn't have finished this project without his assistance and knowledge, both of which were invaluable

I want to express my gratitude to Mrs. Burkell for her valuable aid in organizing my trifold. Her advice and suggestions substantially raised the caliber of this project.

I also thank Mr. Bykovskikh, my science instructor, for his assistance with this effort.

Lastly, I want to express my gratitude to my friends and family for their inspiration and help during this entire process.