What size is your carbon footprint?

Make your own solar heat collector

Now it’s time for you to heat water using

sunshine. You need to do this on a sunny day but you’ll be surprised how hot the water

can get, even when it’s cloudy!

Only if you’re planning to make a solar

collector the size of a door.

If it gets really hot can I have a

nice bath?

What size is your carbon footprint?

Make your own solar heat collector

Fill in the missing words in these sentences

1. The Sun shines on the d _ _ _ surface. 2. The surface becomes h _ _ .3. There is a thin layer of water b _ _ _ _ _ the dark surface.4. This water gets h _ _ _ _ _ .

Do you remember how this solar thermal collector heats water?

a r ko t

e h i n do t t e r

What size is your carbon footprint?

Make your own solar heat collector

The hot water in the solar thermal collector gets pumped along pipes. The pipes take the hot water to a tank in the house.

Do you have a hot water tank like this in your house? Where

is it?

What size is your carbon footprint?

Make your own solar heat collector

Diagram of a solar hot water system

Can you remember why using the Sun to heat water is a better idea than burning gas or oil to heat water?

Because burning oil and gas releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and causes global warming.

What size is your carbon footprint?

Make your own solar heat collector

Hot water tanks have to be able to store hot water without letting it cool down, so that you don’t have to keep reheating it which uses a lot of energy.

Why do you think this tank is covered with a soft green foam material?

It is an insulating cover that keeps the water hot by preventing the heat being transferred to the air around the tank.

What size is your carbon footprint?

Make your own solar heat collector

A. Clear sheet of glass to let heat in

B. Dark coloured metal to absorb the heat

C. Metal water pipes

D. Thick board, such as polystyrene to insulate

Can you remember this slide? These are the main

parts of a solar thermal collector.What does each part do?

What size is your carbon footprint?

Make your own solar heat collector

Here is a diagram of a solar thermal collector that you can make in the classroom.

1. What does each part do?

2. Could you improve this collector in some way?

Put it in the Sun. Then see who’s water gets

the hottest. Good luck!