This year our major research project is a DIY solar water heating system that will provide both domestic hot water and space heating. As these two activities account for the majority of domestic energy use, they are low-hanging fruit for cutting our use of fossil fuels. We will be building and experimenting with approachable solar panel designs and anyone interested in learning more or getting their hands a little dirty is welcome to join us for a series of upcoming workshops.
We will be holding two workshops on DIY Solar Water Heating. On July 29th from 1:00-4:00 p.m., we’ll be focusing on the basic principles of solar water heating and looking at experimental solar panel designs you could build yourself. On August 12th from 1:00-4:00 p.m., the workshop will have a briefer overview of solar water heating followed by a hands-on component as we build a solar panel. Both sessions will be held at the Low Technology Institute in Historic Cooksville. Sessions are free for members (memberships start at $35/year) but a $10 donation is appreciated from nonmembers. Space may be limited, so please RSVP and include your name, phone number, and which session(s) you’d like to attend, all sent to lowtechinstitute@gmail.com. You can donate online for the basic or intermediate workshops or pay by cash, check, or card on the day.
The basic workshop will also be offered at this year’s Wisconsin Permaculture Convergence.