Passive Thermal Battery - IT WORKS!!! - Using Water & Concrete - Super High Efficient Passive Solar

Love the passive heat concept. I grew up in a home architecturally designed for passive solar which my father had built in the late 1940's. It was great.

A lot of thought and work has gone into Arkopia. Well done!👍

I'm coming to you house when SHTF! I'll bring lots of Silky saws

I just realized it. You are an artist and innovator. Great video, Dean. So much value to glean from it.

I'd like to see those sticker thermometers on those barrels after you paint them all flat black. It'd be interesting to see the temperature differences between the ones on the bottom and the ones on the top at a glance.

You have definitely got this down to a science. Great implementation of all concepts. Thermal mass is very apparent in the bourbon warehouses here in Kentucky, where I’ve done a lot of repair work. The warehouses aren’t insulated, very small windows, and they use black metal siding. Most of the warehouses are 7 floors, and naturally the top floors have a lot more temperate extremes. The bourbon ages faster as the oak barrels expand and contract on the higher floors, and the temperature stays much more stable on the lower floors. We would plan our work day accordingly, working on the upper floors in the morning, and lower floors in the afternoon during summer, when temperatures can be more than 30 degrees Fahrenheit different. Keep up the great work!

I like how you have an idea and you just go for it.

In case of earthquake, you might want to consider anchoring 2ft wide straps made from cyclone fencing in front of each row of barrels.

Your mention of using barrels as a bench made me think of a solar seed starting bench. I’d bet you could calculate the sun angle to hit the barrels at the time of year when you do your starts.

If you have a well sealed and insulated home you are usually better off keeping the house close to one solid temperature. I love the passive solar design with thermal mass! More homes and buildings should be design to take advantage of this.

All excellent information. Today I’m playing catch up on your videos as I’ve been busy every day with food preservation for the month of August. The gardens have struggled this year due to flooding here in MB, so we have had to buy a lot of what we usually grow. My cucumbers are only just starting to produce, and the squash and pumpkins are way behind. Our farm garden was totally flooded and not plantable this year so had to make new gardens at the house. I really like what you have done with your greenhouse I hope it provides your family with much food security in the future. We have a 30x40 greenhouse and I’m hoping we can implement some of what you have done with yours - even if it only extends our growing season to the end of October. My freeze dryer never stops - my goal is to clean out my freezers and preserve as much as possible. Please continue with updates on your build - it does give me ideas on what we can possibly do in converting our 30x40

Fish oil= WD40 You could use a solar collector and do a thermal syphon.

For the sake of research, it would be great to see how the greenhouse performs during an entire winter/summer cycle before adding the active components such as evacuated tube collectors. My guess is that you will find that the passive thermal battery will operate quite well. We all look forward to seeing your results. Thank you!

Great information. Will be watching to see how this system preforms. 🙂👍

I love what you’ve got going on there, and appreciate you sharing your family’s journey with the rest of us crazy Canucks. It’s great to see what does and doesn’t work in the frozen north. Cheers! 🍻

You can add mirrors to direct the light when needed on lower sunshine days even more

Interesting! The house we just built is completely heated passively from the sun, it works great. We just have a couple of concrete wall sections, and an insulated earthen floor. 🌞

Love it!!

You nailed it Dean! Looks awesome. If your anything like me, when your body is at rest, your mind is busy building? It shows in the perfect execution of the build. You talk of maximizing square footage. Don't forget one key aspect; a nice sitting area for you and the family! That'll be a great space during the Saskatchewan winters, day or night. And don't worry about me; I'd bring my own chair. And a box of Pil too! So grateful Nate introduced you to the preparedness community!

Wow I have been telling people to watch your videos you've been a wealth of survival information