I have been thinking about doing a solar panels for my roof for years and have always said – one day I will have them up there. I love nature documentaries and know that I am affecting the earth I live on. So I thought I would instil a little tree-hugging into my kids, but in a practical way. Solar is a little complicated – but heat and the sun – that is do-able and concrete for kids to understand.

After watching way too much Blue Planet, Crocodile Hunter and lately River Monsters, I realize that EVERYTHING we have starts with the energy from the Sun. If it wasn’t there – nothing would work. I also know oil is simply the sun’s energy captured – plain and simple from vegetation long ago. What can we do to help I ask?

Living in Alberta (weather like Montana USA), I know that once that sun goes down – its game over as far as being warm. There are NO lakes, NO humidity, just rocks that give off latent heat from that day’s sun so it gets cold real fast. In the summer – we don’t REALLY need air-conditioning but taking edge off would be super nice for many days in July and August. After camping and buying a battery and solar panel, I don’t need to buy as many (if any) batteries for the tent trailer’s lights or lanterns and we have light after dark. That is what inspired me for this project – but electrical with young kids is a little much I thought. What else could we do?

So a VERY PRACTICAL and easy to understand concept was those rocks in Alberta that heat up and stay warm for hours after the sun goes down even though we as humans are shivering a few hours after sunset. The west side of my house is like that too – it is warm and heats up the inside of the house for a while after the sun goes down. What if we can take energy from the sun in the day, store it it somewhere and get it back for a few hours. Wouldn’t that save on energy? Gas? It is also REALLY easy for kids to grasp since they already have felt that latent heat. Well, of course, it is not my idea – it is called geo-thermal heating and I have wanted to do it for years but thought, it would never be possible?  But why not just fart around with some pumps, some electronic measurement and some black pipe? Heck – lets not keep talking or thinking about it lets do it. Then I read some articles online and realized that I can do what others have done for <$1000 – it does not need to cost $30-40K  – those are professional prices.

Well, I have two close friends who I have worked with and know are geeks. Why not get them involved. Well it took a phone call and less than about 20 seconds of talking and they were both in – they too want to teach their kids about science, the environment and wanted to do this too. They both have kids around my kids’ age (4 – 14) and it is a great family science project that we can take pride in. Well, Gus said – since he is a teacher, why not build part of it a spring break. SPRING BREAK!? – that is less than a month away. Better get started. So I did – I got this site up and running – our log book.

So I hope to get a plumber friend involved (or two) and my automation buddy who programs PLC’s to collect data and control a few things like pump speed etc. I am a database geek at heart, Gus is a programmer, John is an electrical engineer (genius actually) who loves to tinker and  throws himself into projects with his kids. We are keeners so – this out to be fun. Lets get going I say.