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Accessible Solar Now: Solar Clothes Dryer
For those contemplating alternative energy sources for the home, cost can make solar energy systems seem as distant and untouchable as the sun itself. Still, it has been calculated that the earth receives more energy from the sun in one hour than the world uses in a whole year. The good news is that we can begin tapping into the infinite power of the sun today. When it comes to economy + environment, even small actions if done by lots of people = huge benefits for the planet and it's people.
Take drying your clothes, for example. Alright, I admit that "solar clothes dryer" is an attempt to make clothesline drying sound sexier, but consider this:
- The average family will spend between $100 - $200 per year drying clothes in a clothes dryer.
- Clothesline-fresh clothes smell fresher, feel more natural, and are wrinkle-free.
- Clothes dried outside last twice as long as those dried in a machine [that lint you pull out of the trap after every load is fiber shredded from the clothes you just dried].
- One ton of poisonous gases are created at the power plant each year to run just your family's dryer.
So let's review the benefits: We save money, have clothes that last longer, and don't pollute as much. Seems like a no-brainer, but there are always hindrances to doing the right thing. With the would-be Solar Clothes Dryer Practicioner there are at least three:
- Inconvenience
- Laws
- Aesthetics
Help with No. 1: Global warming is an inconvenient truth, remember? It's going to take a little more work than just tossing them in the electric/gas dryer, but if you want to change the world, begin in your own backyard. Besides, in addition to those warm feelings you'll have on the inside, it's a great way to get a little exercise, burn off some of your own energy, and soak up some sun in the process.
No. 2: Laws can be a little bit more of a problem. HOAs, community covenants, landlord prohibitions, and zoning ordinances are some things that can prevent you from using clotheslines, even if you've overcome Obstacle No. 1. So would you believe there's a Right-to-Dry movement? It's a battle that's being waged across the country. Click here for a link to some legal language if you're ready to take up the washer-soaked banner and fight for your freedom to flap your duds in the wind.
No 3: I suppose aesthetics are one of the primary reasons for the laws restricting outdoor drying. People think that everybody's clothes drying outside will constitute visual pollution. I agree to a degree, but if clothes on a line are such an eyesore, why is there so much clothesline art out there? Google it to see what I mean. [Who would have thunk it?] But how about all of you folks that have all that private, fenced real estate you call your backyard?
Because we live in a condominium, obstacles 2 and 3 are posing a bit of a problem for me and my family practicing solar clothes drying. But I'm not of the tribe of the completely uninitiated when it comes to hanging it out there. Back in '79-'80 when I was still living with my parents, I installed an umbrella rack clothesline like this Breezecatcher in our backyard. My father prohibited drying clothes in the electric dryer during the spring/summer/fall, so every piece of laundry in the house got a turn on this rotating, energy- and space-saving device. [Dad was way ahead of his time in practical energy conservation. I wasn't happy about it back then, but I'm glad he instilled the practices in me now]. This should be a very practical solution for most, including those who have a very small footprint of private property. If you're squeamish about presenting your unmentionables to the public, enclose the rack with some bamboo fencing. The irregularities of the bamboo will allow the breeze to flow through while keeping your undies from public view.
Burke Sisco
Dr. J. Matthew Sleeth makes a great observation at servegodsavetheplanet.org: "In a sun-rich area, it would cost $10,000 to install a photovoltaic system that would supply enough power just to run a family's electric dryer....The clothesline is a fail-safe "solar" device that costs practically nothing."
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Source: Serve God, Save the Planet
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