Our team 'SolarFool' (https://solarfool.org) is sharing with the open-source community an ancient, non-polluting and effective passive heating and cooling technology whose time has come! Iterated upon by many people in the 20th century, this system based on radiative, night-sky cooling eventually culminated in the work of inventor Steve Baer. He successfully brought the cooling aspect of this system to market to keep batteries cool in the desert but stopped shy of the application for housing- which is where we need it today! As our planet's climate experiences increasingly crazy temperature swings, SolarFool is sharing this elegant, affordable and non-polluting passive system we call 'CoolSky': In summer, reservoirs of water (radiator/absorbers) in the building’s roof or walls absorb heat from the interior during the day, passively cooling the space. Each night, natural convection circulates the water through these radiator/absorbers. The heat is radiated to the night sky, returning water is cooled and ready to repeat the cycle for the next day. In winter, the system absorbs heat from the sun; this warm water is pumped through the building with a solar-powered pump. Elegant and simply effective, with no need for electricity!
In relatively dry climates, it can supply 100% of the cooling and 95% of the heating with virtually no external energy inputs!
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