SolarWall Air Heating

SolarWall air heating system is a custom engineered solution containing many internal and external components.

It uses solar energy to heat and ventilate indoor spaces in new and retrofit applications, as well as to heat air for manufacturing process and agricultural crop drying applications. The system design is optimized to maximize energy delivery with a minimum amount of static pressure in the airflow
One component of the system is the exterior all-metal cladding; however a significant amount of the science behind SolarWall is in the internal framing design and component shapes.Years of research has eliminated the need for the glass covering that is standard for other solar collectors, thereby ensuring that it can be easily integrated into commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings. The elimination of glazing has reduced costs, improved system efficiency, and shortened the ROI timeframe.
Specially perforated collector panels are installed several inches from a south facing wall, creating an air cavity. (Southeast, southwest, east, and west wall are also possible.) The metal cladding is heated by the solar radiation from the sun, and ventilation fans create negative pressure in the air cavity, drawing in the solar heated air through the panel perforations. The proprietary manufacturing equipment and design process – for both the panel and the framing system – are used to control the amount of airflow through the perforations.This maintains a consistent draw across the entire wall surface and ensures the cooler air beyond the heated boundary layer is not introduced into the air stream.
The air is generally taken off the top of the wall (since hot air rises) and that ensures that all of the solar heat produced is collected. The heated air is then ducted into the building via a connection to the HVAC intake. Since the air entering into the air handler has already been preheated anywhere from 30-70F (16-38C) on a sunny day, and less on a cloudy day this solar heating reduces the energy load on the conventional heater. The heated fresh air is then distributed into the building through the existing HVAC system or with separate air makeup fans and perforated ducting.

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