JULY 2011 Small Planet Solar Clothes Drying Technology By Jeff Feldman It’s hard to miss the steady


stream of news about advance- ments in solar technologies these days. From utility-scale electric projects to simple roof- top water heaters, more and more we are harnessing the power of the sun to meet our everyday needs. Kristin and I even have a solar oven, a box- like affair of glass and reflec- tive foil in which we bake solar brownies from time to time. Better than mom used to make and less energy too! Imagine now if you had ac-


cess to a solar technology that would allow you to do away with one of the largest consumers of electricity in your home—your


annual carbon footprint, and be gentler on your clothes than conventional clothes drying. Intrigued? And what if I told you that this technology was already available to you right in your own backyard? Itching to sign up? I speak, of course, of the humble clothesline. For centuries, people dried


clothes dryer. Interested? Con- sider that this solar clothes dry- ing technology would save you about $150 per year on utility costs, eliminate approximately 2,400 pounds of CO2


from your


their clothes beneath the warmth of the sun. It was not until the late 1930s that Hamil- ton Manufacturing of Two Riv-


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ers, Wisconsin began market- ing J. Ross Moore’s design of an automatic clothes dryer. GE and Whirlpool led the dryer busi- ness throughout the 40s and 50s, introducing advancements like timers and cool-down cy- cles, establishing the modern clothes dryer we know today. In 2005, 92 percent of all single- family homes had a dryer. But times are changing yet


again. According to a 2009 study by Pew Research, only


two-thirds of Americans view the clothes dryer to be a house- hold necessity. Between a still struggling economy and a heightened interest in energy conservation, more people seem to be getting in line with the notion of air drying their just washed garments on the tried-and-true


clothesline.


From umbrella-styles to the traditional line strung between trees, clotheslines are com- ing back into vogue. And why


not? They’re inexpensive, easy to use, kinder to your clothes. The lint you remove from your dryer is indication of your clothes literally disintegrating in there. And drying outdoors infuses your clothes with a “sun-rinsed” scent. Oh sure, some people have is-


sues with drying clothes out on the line. “The fabric gets stiff!” some people say. Or, “What if it rains on them?” Or, “It’s a has- sle to hang them up and take


18


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