Q: Based on our water bills, my family uses lots of water and much of it is probably hot water. Is there a simple solar hot water system design that I could build myself? A: Heating water can account ...

The idea of heating water with the power of the sun is as old as … the Earth! But capturing that energy to efficiently heat water for domestic use is a more recent ...

Dear Jim: We have teenage daughters who take long showers. Our water heating costs are sky high. We are on a tight budget, but want to use some solar water heating. Is there a do-it-yourself system we ...

It took a while to decode the email I received from Carroll Hampleman (you can see why below), but his home made water heater is worth the bother. Mirrors are arranged to reflect and concentrate the ...

DIY site Instructables details how to build a solar thermal water heater on the cheap using parts from a recycled refrigerator grill and a few other bits and pieces. So how well does it work? I let ...

Heating water is one of the most energy-consuming and costly household tasks. According to the Department of Energy, it makes up roughly 18% of a standard home's monthly energy budget. And if you use ...

A solar-powered air conditioner doesn't do one much good during a Vermont winter, but rather than cranking on the heater (or huddling under the heated Hello Kitty mat) just to heat things up in a ...

This home is heated by a wood stove in the winter, which also produces hot water. But the other three seasons it’s an electric water heater that does the work. This latest hack is a solar collector ...