Design, Build,
and Share Ideas
for Passive Heating and Cooling
(Based on the pioneering work of Steve Baer)
Solar Fool
An Open Source Community to Share Passive Solar Design Innovation based on CoolSky technology
Why Passive Heating and Cooling?
Extreme weather creates more demand for heating and cooling. Current air conditioning, refrigerating and heating systems use electricity, contributing to global warming. There's a better way, and we can get there together!
At SolarFool.org, we recognize the urgent need for passive heating and cooling systems, using night sky cooling. Through open source innovation, our goal is to replace polluting HVAC systems worldwide with elegant, affordable and non-polluting passive systems, based on Steve Baer's technology that we're calling 'CoolSky'.
What is Night Sky Cooling?
Night sky cooling is a natural process where an object on Earth radiates its heat into the coldness of outer space on a clear night, allowing it to cool down significantly. This phenomenon occurs because on a clear night, heat can easily escape through the atmosphere and travel to space, which is much colder than the air. This is also known as radiative sky cooling and has been used for centuries in the construction of ancient ice houses and is now being explored for modern applications such as passive cooling of structures.
CoolSky technology utilizes the unique properties of water to passively cool and heat a space. In the summer, CoolSky absorbs the heat from within your home during the day and radiates it into the ionosphere at night. In the winter, the cycle is reversed (using a solar powered pump) so that the system absorbs heat from the sun during the day and continues to radiate the heat into your home all night. In relatively dry climates, it can supply 100% of the cooling and 95% of the heating with virtually no external energy inputs- however, it can be effective in other climates as well.
Does CoolSky Work?
Yes! Since the 1990s, CoolSky has been widely used in commercial applications to keep batteries and electronics cool in a desert environment, and on a limited basis in architectural applications. In both situations, CoolSky kept the interior spaces at a comfortable temperature range (65-75F) while outside temperatures were 110-120F.
Meet the Fools
Christina Hildebrandt
Christina sees the global need for affordable, non-polluting heating and cooling technology as our planet's climate experiences increasingly crazy temperature swings. She's helping bring Steve Baer's ingenious passive heating and cooling designs into production, so everyone on the planet can live in safety and comfort.
Jose Baer
As land manager at Naturion and owner of Oso Ag, LLC, Jose is passionate about leveraging markets for everyone's good. As Steve Baer's son, he wants to bring his dad's brilliant designs to the world through the interconnectivity of planet, people and nature's elements.
Paul Hildebrandt
Paul is founder and CEO of Zometool, Inc. Paul has devoted the last 45 years to developing applications of Steve Baer's 31-zone system, including the Zometool, a physical embodiment of quantum math. His dream is to build houses incorporating Baer's passive heating and cooling technology.
Help The Planet through:
Collaboration
Collaborate with like-minded individuals to exchange ideas, knowledge, and expertise about passive heating and cooling. Contribute your know-how to the iterative design process!
Empowerment
Empower yourself with the tools, resources, and support needed to bring your own innovative designs to life. Our platform is designed to inspire creativity and enable you to contribute meaningfully to sustainable heating and cooling solutions. Check out our Wiki here
Solutions
Our earth's changing climate needs many people working together to create innovative solutions in passive heating and cooling. Join the conversation at https://www.reddit.com/r/CoolSky/
