Build a Simple Solar Heater
(Page 3 of 7)
December 2006/January 2007
By Gary Reysa
The absorber, a black metal window screen, is installed on battens fastened vertically to the uprights and across the top and bottom of the bays, about halfway between the glazing and siding (see photo). After measuring thermal performance with one, two and three layers of screen, I found that two layers work best. The top and bottom vents are simply holes cut through the building’s sheathing and siding. Simple light plastic flapper valves prevent back flow through the upper vents at night.
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In summer, the vertical orientation of the panels and the high sun angle minimize overheating, but you should block the top vent openings to prevent the collector from delivering heat. I just staple a piece of cardboard over each top vent, but you could install hinged vent doors. Shading or covering the panels also would work, but is probably unnecessary. In the spring and fall, you can close some vents and leave others open to control the heat output.
Construction Tips
First, measure your building’s south wall to determine how you’ll need to adjust the collector design. Pay particular attention to available height and to stud spacing. Next, lay out the vents. Offset them from the wall studs enough to leave room for the vertical frames to be placed away from studs and lag-screwed from inside the building. Mark the vent locations on the inside and outside of the building to ensure you have no conflicts with electrical wiring. After you’re certain the layout is correct, take a deep breath and cut the vents.
Cut the top sill long enough to lap over the end verticals by at least 1 inch. Bevel the back edge of the top sill so that it slopes about 10 degrees when fitted against the siding, to shed rain. Next, cut the verticals, angling their tops to match the slope of the top sill. Line them up and cut notches for the two 1-by-1-inch horizontal glazing supports.
Next, prime and paint everything. You don’t have to repaint the siding that will be behind the collector, but painting it a dark color will improve the efficiency slightly. Keep in mind that a muted version of this color will show through the collector screen, so be sure it meets your aesthetic sensibilities.
After the paint has cured, mount the verticals to the siding. I fastened them from the inside using 5 inch lag screws, with washers, through the wall sheathing and siding. If your siding is not strong enough to support the weight, align the verticals with the wall studs and drive lag screws from the outside through them and into the studs. Take care to keep everything level, plumb and straight—this will save you a lot of four-letter words later.
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