Solar Preheated Ventilation - Innovative Solar Technology
Abstract
Many installations such as shops, garages, hangers, offices, and residential buildings face the problem of heating ventilation air during the cold season. Solar Walls are efficient, reliable, zero maintenance, solar air preheaters that offer many opportunities for Navy facilities to save money on their annual energy bill. This innovative technology applies to both new construction or rehabilitation projects. This TDS introduces this low maintenance solar technology for consideration in all future industrial ventilation or HVAC projects. Preheating saves energy. Currently, two preheating alternatives exist: heat recovery wheels and solar wall preheaters. The solar wall consists of dark metal siding with small holes set off a few inches from the south wall of the building. The siding is sealed at its edges so that a fan can withdraw heated air from the space between the siding and the wall. The heated layer of outside air touching the solar wall is drawn through the small holes into the space behind the siding. Once inside this space, the air is further heated because of continued contact with the hot siding. A 40 deg F air temperature rise is typical. A fan, usually near the top of the solar wall, draws the warmed air from this space and distributes it through the space to be ventilated. Frequently it is distributed through inflated fabric ducts with holes in the side that emit the warmed air into the hot stratified air trapped near the ceiling of the building, causing circulation of the warmed air, a beneficial destratification effect. In a combined effort, the solar wall concept was recently developed by Conserval Systems, Inc., and personnel at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado. Extensive research into optimizing the performance of the concept and the development of design criteria and procedures were conducted at both NREL and Conserval.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 1999
- Accession Number
- ADA365627
Entities
People
- Howard Gaberson
- Trinh Do
Organizations
- Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center