NO. 5 UTILIZING HEAT FROM THE SUN ABBOT II 



COMMERCIAL USE AND COST OF SOLAR HEATING 



It is probable that so long as coal is cheap and abundant there will 

 be no extensive use of solar power. However, small installations, in 

 2- to 5-horsepower units, may become profitable under favorable 

 conditions. Solar heat has already been used successfully for refri- 

 geration, and possibly might be combined with a heating system for 

 conditioning the air in ranch propositions in cloudless regions. The 

 classic use of solar power is, of course, for irrigation, and here, as 

 remarked above, the problem of storage is not important. It is con- 

 ceivable that great reservoirs might be pumped full of water from 

 .rivers or lakes by solar power in dry years to irrigate land when 

 rains fail. 



As remarked above, both solar cooking and solar distilling of non- 

 potable water are practical and efficient propositions, which it is likely 

 will be in common use before very long if the necessary outfits can 

 be produced at attractive prices. The cost of solar devices, as of all 

 other products, depends greatly on the volume of sales. These devices, 

 however, as compared with automobiles are extremely simple. Though 

 it might cost prohibitively to produce them singly, I think not if 

 produced in thousands. 



