My brother Edward circulated some links to pages regarding the use Earth Tubes to heat/cool. After checking out the concept I was enthusiastic about trying it on a campground building we are sprucing up this winter season. I did a bit more research and found out about the concept of "Thermal Tubes" and incorporated them into my idea of how we could install a system. Using the "Thermal Tubes" no electricity or fans would be required to move the air through the system. The hotter the weather, the more air would be drawn through the tubes and into the earth for cooling. I made measurements, and some rough calculations, and some drawings. The idea, however, was shot down due to the lack of a good option for "tubing." We would need to find a durable, waterproof, inexpensive tube that could be buried up to 10 feet. A system like the one I outlined would require in excess of 250 feet of tubing. I believe that my design would pay off over the long run, however, since everything is experimental and since most of the choices were educated guesses, and the cost of any type of available tubing was prohibitive, it was a bit too risky for me to be able to convince my three brother/partners to go on board with. I am posting my ideas so that perhaps someone else will have an opportunity to acquire the materials and location to try it out. I have also made a .pdf of the drawing available.
It's Complicated…