OT Solar heat

Bryan inIowa · Mar 12, 2013

Anyone ever build an hot air solar heater ? Thinking of something to put on south end of shop . 4x 8? 4x16?

showcrop · Mar 12, 2013

I designed and built an active collector that was part of the roof of the house that I added onto in 1978. It worked great! Especially in late Jan through March when the sun got higher, it might be 15 degrees out and the hot air would blast out of the duct. We had a manually operated diverter to the basement so that the excess would go down there and help us to stay warmer at night. I have seen vertical thermo-siphon collectors on south exterior walls where air is drawn in at the bottom and rises between what had been the outside surface and the back of the black painted absorber plate. I used corrugated aluminum roofing for the absorber, which was covered with Kallite fiberglass for the glazing. There are lots of plans available for low tech low cost but high performing solar collectors.

omahagreg · Mar 12, 2013

Dad and I built one around 1980, lived just N of Sioux City. Researched the suns winter angle. Started with an 8' X 8', later doubled that size. Used an 8" duct with a furnace fan switched using a furnace switch-came on when 95 in the panel, off at 75. Never seemed worth a darn! When Dads moved into Omaha their house had a South facing porch. Glazed it. Dad contends that the porch-without any thought put into it-worked better than the one we put thought into!

da.bees · Mar 12, 2013

I have had good results with passive collectors. I have never attempted a stand alone system yet. A fairly simple collector can save some money by keeping room tempiture several degrees above ambient so that no fuel is nessary in mild weather and when primary heat is turned on,it doesn't use as much energy to reach comfortable. If you need desighn inspiration,shoot me an e-mail and I will try pointing you in the right direction.

TimV · Mar 12, 2013

Built one approx. 3 x 8 using an old double-glazed picture window I got for free. Worked very well--unless it was very cold at night I didn't require any additional heat to keep the back room it was in from freezing. For a start, Build it Solar has many pages of plans and such to give you ideas.
Build It Solar

Geo-TH,In · Mar 12, 2013

My dad designed his home with passive solar, using anderson window. Lots of glass on the south side of house. As long as the sun is shinning, great heat source.

I designed a passive solar for room addition. Used the newer low-e glass. Low-e blocks some of the solar benefits. Nice room when the sun is out, however, the room gets very cold at night. I think the heat loss is greater than the heat gain. Still a nice room, like an indoor greenhouse.

I was working in an old house built in 1920, back when there was a front pourch on the south end of a home. Simple single layer glass storm windows, no low-e glass. Air leaks around windows. That said, when it freezing outside, the sun is shinning, the room is like toast. Cloud blocks the sun, and it gets cold very fast.

SOOOO, design collector with clear single layer glass and it should work great.

If I'm next to the metal in my un-insulated pole barn when the sun is shinning, it feels like I'm next to a fire.

You may want to use the siding on your barn as the collector and trap the heat with glass or plastic.

George

OT Solar heat

Bryan inIowa

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showcrop

Well-known Member

omahagreg

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da.bees

Well-known Member

TimV

Well-known Member

Geo-TH,In

Well-known Member

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