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The Solar Camping ShowerA solar camping shower is a very simple device that allows you to have a hot shower at the end of the day. As long as there is a steady supply of sunshine, the bag containing the water will heat up. This is more efficient when the air temperature is higher, since there will be less heat loss from the bag. Sunlight strikes the plastic surface of the bag containing the water. The surface will be matt (not shiny) so that as little light is reflected as possible. It is also black as that absorbs the most amount of light. The light, once absorbed, is turned into heat and that heat is transferred to the water. This process will continue as long as sunlight is falling on the bag. Because water has a high specific heat value (meaning it stores a lot of heat per gram) it holds the heat well. This means that the water in the bag will stay warm even after the sun has stopped shining on it.
This is a great way to harvest the sun's energy without any pollution at all. It allows us to have the luxury of a warm shower even when we are miles from any powered water source and have no heating source other than a bright sunny day. These devices are not expensive to purchase and should be available from your local camping or outdoor supplies store. Return from Solar Camping Shower to Solar Camping or return to the Green Planet home page for more Solar Power Facts.
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