Solar Heater from Beer Bottles

Solar water heaters have been around for a while and appear to work well. Cold water is circulated through glass tubes which face the sun. The sun’s energy causes the water to heat up and this is then stored for later use.

Not everyone has access to ready made solar heaters, or the funding to buy one so you might like to do-it-yourself. Ma Yanjun, a carpenter, from the Qiqiao village, located in Shaanxi Province, China, has made his own using beer bottles.

The bottles are arranged on a board and connected by hoses through which cold water flows. Once the water has passed through all the bottles it is warm enough to use for showering.

Ma Yanjun produced the heater for his mother so that she could shower in warm water. He has now helped 20 families in the village build their own beer bottle heaters and has plans to build a public bathroom for the village when he has enough beer bottles.

[ Via Ananova ]