Build a Solar Air Heater for Mobile Homes and a Metal Outbuilding

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The integrated thermosiphon air panel (TAP for short) is a fresh approach to solar air heating — one that’s perfectly suited to the 10 million or so folks who live in mobile homes and to owners of the countless metal-sided storage, industrial and commercial buildings around the world. By making use of the building itself as a part of the collector, the TAP keeps material costs down, simplifies construction and maintains a low visual profile. And because it relies on thermosiphoning to move air past the absorber, the TAP avoids the complexity and cost of an electrically driven fan.

Steven McCarney, the developer of the TAP, says the idea evolved after he’d installed several standard collectors on metal-sided buildings. In his words, “It seemed redundant to put a collector with a separate absorber and an insulated back on a building that already had those elements.” Hence, Steve decided to use the building’s own insulated wall as the collector’s absorber. Now, longtime readers may recall that the integrated collector idea goes back a little ways (remember the Waterman solar setup in MOTHER). But, regardless of the origin, McCarney and his co-workers can take credit for researching and refining the scheme to the point where just about anybody can build a durable TAP that will pay back his or her investment in only a few years.

What It Takes to Build a DIY Thermosiphon Air Panel

What do you need to build your own TAP? The critical element, of course, is sunlight:

You need a metal-sided wall that faces within 25 degrees of south and that isn’t shaded in the crucial winter months. You’ll also need some hand tools, such as a drill, metal snips, screwdrivers, a caulking gun, a ¼ -inch nut driver and maybe a circular saw. Add to these items less than $100 worth of materials and a weekend’s work, and you’ll have solar heat flowing into your home.

  • Published on Jan 1, 1985
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