Water Bladders For Free Heating, Cooling?

Solar Energy

A brilliant young professor invents a way to heat and cool homes -- for free. The president gives him a prestigious award, and he waits for the energy industry to knock at his door.

And he waits. And he waits. And he waits.

That was almost 40 years ago and the young professor, Harold Hay, is now 98 years old. But he's still trying to get his invention, the Skytherm System, into production.

It's basically a rooftop bladder filled with water. On summer days, an insulated panel shields it from the sun so it draws heat from inside. At night, it's exposed and releases heat back into the air. The process is reversed in winter.

Becky Campbell-Howe of the American Solar Energy Society says Hay's invention is still very relevant. Recently, she said "our hopes have been pinned on complicated technologies and it's [just] not that complicated."

This is what Hay keeps saying with phone calls, letters, e-mails and his strongly worded web site. He insists: "You don't need electricity to stay cool, you don't need an air conditioner, you do it with the sky."

Maybe it's time somebody listened?

Script by Stephen Webb

Discovery Links

To learn more about today’s topic, please explore the links below:

• The Complete Story
• Harold Hay's Web Site
• American Solar Energy Society