Green DIY tutorials: Heat your home creatively and efficiently

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This week's tutorials offer easy, creative ways to use heat from the sun to keep your home warm in winter. Read on to find out how to make solar heaters using simple household materials such as copper coins, soda cans, and old refrigerator parts.

How To Produce Easy, Free Home Heat (video):
A web favorite, this video shows you how to make a solar heater with little more than foam board and copper coins. Or, for an even less labor-intensive project, try the plastic-bin method in the second half of the tutorial. Both heaters can be made with few tools and limited space.

http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-produce-easy-free-home-heat

Soda Can Solar Panel (written guide):
Another creative way of harnessing heat from the sun uses aluminum soda cans, painted black and set in a wood frame. These step-by-step instructions show you exactly how you can make your own soda-can solar panel.

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2007/04/26/almost-free-garage-heat-just-drink-a-lot-of-soda/

A cool way to save on heat (video):
This short video by River Wired gives you an overview of how to turn an old refrigerator into a solar water heater.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4zrkm_a-cool-way-to-save-on-heat_tech

Intrigued? Take a look at this written, step-by-step tutorial by The Sietch to find out exactly how it's done.

http://www.thesietch.org/projects/solarthermalpanel2/index.htm