Here are some photos of a solar air heater that I jsut finished. Hope you can join me in the move to alternative energy.

What temps are you getting on the inflow air? This looks like a pretty good DYI item. How much does it weigh?

I love the idea, but you know, I keep thinking that there would be no way that my HOA would ever let me add something like this to my house. Any ideas on how to do this without it looking so DIY?

We installed a commercial solar air heater last year and acheived a heat rise of between 60 and 70 degrees F.

It heats one of my daughter's basement bedroom (approx. 15 X 20) so much that she has to leave the door open otherwise it is too hot for her, saving on electricity bills by not needing a portable electric heater in that room during the day.

Dan

If you want something a little more professional I found a great site at solarwindowheaters.com.

These things look so bulky. Is there a way to do this without having something that looks more professional. Even those that LouKoosh listed look pretty big and bulky, blocking views and ruining the appearance of a nice home.

Posted By unsure on 19 Dec 2009 06:10 PM
These things look so bulky. Is there a way to do this without having something that looks more professional. Even those that LouKoosh listed look pretty big and bulky, blocking views and ruining the appearance of a nice home.

Because they are 'passive' energy creators (in this case, heat), they need to be of sufficient size to actually generate useful amounts of heat.

We commercial solar air heater I purchased and installed on the south wall of our walkout basement was approximately 7 ft by 4 ft.

You can see lots of pictures and read bout our installation experiences here if interested.

http://dailyhomerenotips.com/2009/09/21/solar-air-heating-product-and-installation-summary/

I hope this helps,
Dan

Now that looks a little better but still a little odd on the side of the house. Has anyone done an integrated system that you could put in your walls?

Posted By unsure on 20 Dec 2009 05:11 PM
Now that looks a little better but still a little odd on the side of the house. Has anyone done an integrated system that you could put in your walls?

I believe, unsure, that the SolarSheat product has examples of the device built into a wall.

However, per this Natural Resources Canada site, the SolarSheat is not as efficient as the CanSolair product we use:

http://ecoaction.gc.ca/ecoenergy-ecoenergie/heat-chauffage/v2008/collectors-capteurs-eng.cfm

However, at least the Solar Sheat product is flat for appearances when built within a wall.

Either one is not cheap and will have a long, long financial payback, depending on what one is spending for heating in the winter.

I still say go with increased attic, etc. insullation, sealing air leaks, etc. first.

I hope that helps.

great products. I love that there are companies out there making well made, stylish passive devices like this. Too often, the DYI work is just like unsure is saying, bulky eye sores that save money but can lessen the value of a home or neighborhood.

thanks Dan1

I usually go with the whole PV panel approach, but passive techniques are becoming more and more my favorites. They are cheaper and in some cases more reliable. I think just like all sustainable technologies, they have to be used in concert with many technologies to have a great impact on the environment. I think people should look into devices like these and combine them with many projects and strategies to green their homes as much as possible.

Really cool stuff. Its great to see DIY efforts that are so green. Keep up the good work!

This is awesome!. I wish I had the mechanical ability to put something like this together. Thank you for sharing the plans.

hey boss.... how much did this cost you to put together and how much has it reduced your energy bills. it seems like it would pay itself back pretty quickly.

Do you think this could be used two fold. Could you use it as both an air heater as well as a solar hot water heater at the same time. There is so much energy coming into a box like this that there has to be some kind of efficiency loss. Could you take up some of that loss by combining technologies? Just an idea, don't know if it would work.

Do you mind if I use this design for my own house? I would like to see if I can't get my heating bills down. I have great southern exposures and live out in the middle of no where.

Wow, I missed this thread for that long. Love the design. Its a basic principal and a pretty simple design but I must say that it seems like it would work like a dream.