Although the cost of natural gas continued to escalate this year, those looking to heat their domiciles using some type of alternative energy probably investigated solar power in some form. Did you? I have a neighbor who uses solar energy to heat his water heater (and has for years) and he saves a wallop in gas costs using the sun as his source for that morning hot shower.

Even if that is not on your horizon, heating one or more of the rooms in your home using captured solar rays is great idea if you're into some tinkering with aluminum cans and such.

Now, warning: I'm not sure if this project will generate the kind of instant heat we're mostly accustomed to with gas-fired furnaces, but it's interesting nonetheless. Aluminum is a great conductor of heat, so the premise of an air heater using aluminum cans sounds like a tempting idea, to see if it works or even to debunk it.

If you decide to try this plywood, plexiglass and aluminum can heater project, let us know how it works. Note: the space you want to hat should already be well-insulated or the effectiveness of any solar air heater will be minimally noticed.