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"   Catenary Solar Reflector Reader: Tho X. Bui Phoenix, Ariz.     It&amp;#039;s not just a hanging sheet of steel, it&amp;#039;s a solar reflector. Tho Bui&amp;#039;s project may be rudimentary, but to him that&amp;#039;s its biggest benefit. He took the familiar shape of a hanging chain, realized it could be used to concentrate solar energy, and began experimenting with solar reflectors shaped only by their own weight. The &amp;quot;catenary&amp;quot; shape materials take on in this position is similar to a parabola, but with a few key differences, including the key ability to focus light even when it doesn&amp;#039;t come from just one angle. As an added benefit, the shape occurs naturally, so reflectors can be built out of just about anything. Bui hopes these affordable, easy-to-make reflectors can eventually become a feasible source of green energy. His tastiest proof of concept: an egg cooked in less than 20 minutes.    Solar Water Heater Reader: Rudolph Draaisma Phnom Penh, Cambodia     Here&amp;#039;s another sun-soaking project that puts a new spin on an age-old idea. Most people are familiar with the concept that black surfaces absorb the most solar radiation, and therefore produce the most heat when placed in the sun. While many solar heaters function by warming water in black pipes, Rudolph Draaisma figured out that plain water was enough to absorb all the sun&amp;#039;s energy on its own, and it was actually more efficient than black surfaces. Draaisma knew that our atmosphere only allows a certain spectrum of solar radiation through it, and also that water is an effective black-body absorber at that filtered wavelength. In other words, if we could see in infrared, water would appear totally opaque to us, even as little as 0.1mm of it, because it soaks up all the light in that spectrum. For his graduate project, Draaisma built a solar water heater that works by sandwiching water between two panes of glass. On a freezing - but sunny - day in Sweden, he was able to get the water up to 175 degrees Fahrenheit. He claims the transparent design is actually more effective than a black pipe since the sun transfers heat energy directly to the water, instead of into a pipe that then heats the water. Draaisma has directions for installing a home water heating system on his Web site.    Solar Water Heater Reader: Shane Jordan Pocasset, Mass.     Shane Jordan took the most economical approach possible with his solar water heater. He scrounged every part for it except for the hoses, spending a grand total $3.76. The heat distributor from the back of a refridgerator forms the array of pipes that actually collect heat, the frame for the project is made from scrap wood from the local dump, and the base is an old rubber mat. Water flows from a cold water source on top of the panel to a hot water collection bucket below using gravity alone. The final panel was almost too effectrive: Jordan scalded himself with the water it produced the first time he tried it on a sunny day. It may not heat water for a house, but it could still deliver a piping hot shower on a camping trip if you don&amp;#039;t mind hauling it along. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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