The other Solar Thermal; Solar Hot Air Collectors

The other Solar Thermal; Solar Hot Air Collectors

We have written a good deal about solar thermal on this blog. One thing that has not been covered are Solar Thermal air collectors. These units look similar to hot water collectors, only they use air as the Heat Transfer Fluid (HTF).

Solar hot air collectors have several advantages; They are easier to install and many do-it-yourselfers can install one or two hot air panels in a weekend. They can be mounted on south facing walls or roofs. Shading by deciduous trees is not an issue, since summer time heat production, in most cases, is not desired. They do not contain liquid, so freeze protection is not necessary. They also can most often be power by a small PV panel, which means they require no outside energy input.

The main disadvantage is they have no heat storage capacity, nor can their heat output be transported easily to another part of the building. When the sun is shining, you get the full effect of the sun’s energy (about 1 KW per M²), minus the incident angle losses. For the average solar hot air collector in a category C environment, that is about 10-14 KBTU/day per Ft². They are also slightly less efficient than liquid flat plate collectors because water is a better HTF than air.

There are two companies that make SRCC certified solar air collectors, Your Solar Home and Environmental Solar Systems. They consist of a flat plate collector with solar selective coating in and aluminum frame. Both units have DC powered fans, one comes with a 14 watt PV panel, the other comes with a wall transformer for 120 VAC. They look comparable in size/output and price. One is made in Canada, the other in Massachusetts.

A real DIY person could potentially make their own solar thermal panel if they had the proper motivation.

Update: Stephen let me know that my research was not a through as it should have been:

You missed the solar hot air units from Newfoundland Canada. I am a reseller of the product.They have over 1000 of them out in the real world. They work well in Newfoundland where they only get 1500 hours of sunlight.

Their website:

Cansolair Solar Panels

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