Like any household appliance, solar air heaters need to be maintained so they last the full length of their 20 year lifespan. A small donation not only restores a household's source of renewable heat, but also provides much-needed economic stimulus to reservation economies.
Like any home appliance, solar air heaters can suffer from operational difficulties. The most common sources of problems with the systems we install are rodents eating through the flexi-duct that connects the heater to a home and problems with the system's motor, which is one moving part. Both items cost less than $45 in parts to repair. We want to ensure that each solar heater lasts for the full-length of its 20-year lifespan, and basic repairs are important to meeting this goal.
This project will provide funds to complete heater repairs on 10 heating systems, ensuring that these families' solar heaters are working properly as we move into the bitterly cold winter months. In addition, because we employ Native Americans to install and repair these solar heaters, this project provide wages in reservation economies with extreme unemployment.
With an average household size of 5, this project will help 50 Native Americans on Pine Ridge live more comfortably during the bitter winter months, save significant amounts of money, and decrease their energy dependence.
