DIY Night Radiative Condenser

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Tools

• Drill / screwdriver
• Utility knife
• Metal snips (if cutting fins)
• Level

Safety

• Smooth sharp metal edges
• Secure the panel against wind uplift
• Do not drink first-night runoff until the system is rinsed

How to put it together

1. 1

   Build the face panel

   Make a ~1×1 m sky-facing sheet (aluminum or white radiative film on a rigid board). This faces open sky — not under a roof.

2. 2

   Add insulation behind

   Glue foam/XPS insulation to the back so cold stays on the sky face, not lost into the ground.

3. 3

   Attach condensation fins

   Mount aluminum or copper fins under / on the cold face so dew has surface area to form and drip.

4. 4

   Tilt slightly

   Angle the assembly a few degrees so droplets run to one edge. Avoid facing warm walls that radiate heat back.

5. 5

   Install drip channel

   Put a clean channel under the drip edge. Connect tubing to a 5–10 L collection tank with lid.

6. 6

   Night test

   On a clear night, check that the face feels colder than air and that droplets form. Cloudy nights yield little — that is normal.

7. 7

   Rinse & log

   Rinse fins after dusty weather. Note liters per clear night to learn your local yield.

Tips

• Open sky view is mandatory — trees/buildings kill radiative cooling
• Deserts with clear nights outperform humid cloudy coasts
• Paint/film choice matters: high IR emissivity on the sky face