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SolarWall(orTrombeWall)
Thispageprovidesplansforasimplesolarwallcollectorforspaceheating.Thesewallsare
alsoknownasTrombewalls.Thediagramshowshowthecollectoroperates.Thesolar
radiationheatstheoutsideofthesolarwall.Theheatslowlypassesthroughthemassive
wall,andarrivesattheinsidesurfaceofthewallseveralhourslatertoprovideheatinthe
evening.Theglazedcoveringontheoutsideofthewallreducesheatloss,andallowsmore
heattransfertotheinsidespace.Theventsshownatthetopandbottomofthewallinthis
diagramareoptionaltheyallowheattobetransferredtothelivingspaceearlierintheday
thanoccurswithanunventedsolarwall.

Thesewallscanbeusedinnewconstructionorasaretrofit.Someexistinghomeshave
wallconstructionthatcanbeconvertedtoasolarwalleasily.

ThecharacteristicsofaSolarWallascomparedtoadirectgainwindow:
Itsefficiencyincollectingsolarheatisnotashighasadirectgainwindowofthesame
size.
Nightheatlossesarelessthanforadirectgainwindows.
Verysimplenofans,noducts,nocontrollers.
Doesnotprovidedaylightingorviewsasadirectgainwindowwouldthiscanbeanadvantageordisadvantage.
Theinsidesurfaceofthewallcanbeusedtosomeextent,butshouldnotbecoveredwithanythingthatreducesheat
transferfromthewalltothelivingspace.
Dependingonthecurrentwallconstruction,itmaybeeasiertoretrofitasolarwallthantoretrofitadirectgainwindow,
sincenowallstructuralmembersarecut.
Thecollectorscanbeusedinnewconstruction,orasaretrofit.

Theseplansareexcerptedfromthebook"PassiveSolarEnergy"byBruceAndersonandMalcolmWells.Thefullbookis
availableforfreedownloadhere.Solarwallsarecoveredinchapter5.

From"PassiveSolarEnergy",B.Anderson,M.Wells

SolarWallsIntroduction
Solarwindowsletsunlightdirectlyintothehouse.
Theheatisusuallystoredinaheavyfloororin
interiorwalls.Thermalstoragewalls,assolarwalls
areoftencalled,areexactlywhattheirnameimplies
wallsbuiltprimarilytostoreheat.Themosteffective
placetobuildthemisdirectlyinsidethewindows,so
thatthesunlightstrikesthewallinsteadofdirectly
heatingthehouse.Thedirectlysunheatedwallgets
muchhotter,andtherebystoresmoreenergy,than
thermalmassplacedelsewhere.
These"solarwalls"conductheatfromtheirsolar
hotsidetotheirinteriorcoolerside,wheretheheat
thenradiatestothehouse.Butthisprocesstakesa
while.Inawellinsulatedhouse,anormalnumberof
windowsinthesouthwallwilladmitenoughsunto
heatthehouseduringtheday.Thermalstoragewalls
willthenpickupwherethewindowsleaveoffand
provideheatuntilmorning.
Southfacingwindowswithanareaoflessthan10
percentofthefloorareaofthehouseareprobablynot
largeenoughtoprovideenoughheatduringtheday.
Ifthisisthecase,ventscouldbeaddedatboththe
baseandthetopofasolarwall.Thewallcanthen
provideheattothehouseduringthedayjustassolar
chimneysdo.Althoughtheventsneedbeonly10to
12squareinchesforeach
linealfootofwall,theycanaddcostand
complication.Therefore,itisbestnottousethem
unlessheatisneededduringdaylighthours.Thermal
storagewallswithventsarenormallycalledTrombe
Walls,afterDr.FelixTrombewho,intheearly1960s,
builtseveralhomeswiththisdesignintheFrench
Pyrenees.1

Onetypeofthermalstoragewallusespouredconcrete,brick,
adobe,stone,orsolid(orfilled)concreteblocks.Wallsare
usuallyonefootthick,butslightlythinnerwallswilldo,andwalls
upto18inchesthickwillsupplythemostheat.Further
thicknessessavenoadditionalenergy.Containersofwaterare
oftenusedinsteadofconcrete.Theytendtobeslightlymore
efficientthansolidwallsbecausetheyabsorbtheheatfaster,
duetoconvectivecurrentsofwaterinsidethecontainerasitis
heated.Thiscausesimmediatemixingandquickertransferof
heatintothehousethansolidwallscanprovide.Onehalfcubic
footofwater(about4gallons)persquarefootofwallareais
adequate,butunlikesolidwalls,themorewaterinthewall,the
moreenergyitsaves.
Themaindrawbackofsolarwallsistheirheatlosstothe
outside.Doubleglazing(glassoranyoftheplastics)is

adequateforcuttingthisdowninmostclimates
wherewinterisnottoosevere(lessthan5000
degreedays:
Boston,NewYork,KansasCity,SanFrancisco).
Tripleglazingormovableinsulationisrequiredin
colderclimates.

PlansforaSolarWall

Thisglazedthermalstoragewalliscomprisedofglazing
framemembersmilledfromcedar4x4'sboltedtoaneight
inchthickstructuralbrickwall.Thebricksaredensepaving
bricksadarkumbercolorontheoutside,standardterra
cottacolorontheinsideandarelaidupwithallcavitiesfilled
withmortar.Thetripleglazedpanels,designedforusein
thenortheast,reduceheatlossestotheoutsidefromthe
warmwall.Standardoperabletripleglazedcasement
windowsareincorporatedintothewalltoprovidedirectgain
heating,light,viewsandventilation.Doubleglazingis
suitableforuseinmilderclimates.(Constructiondetails,the
BrookhavenHouse.)

OtherConsideration:
Theinsidesurfaceofthesolarwallshouldnotbepopulatedwithbookcasesorthelikethatwillreducetheheattransfer
fromthewalltothelivingspace.
Thereshouldbeagoodthermalconnectionbetweenanyinsidewallfinishes(e.g.sheetrock)andthemasonryor
concreteofthewallthiswillmaximizetheheattransfertothelivingspace.
Ifpossible,thefoundationareashouldbeinsulatedintheusualwaywithrigidinsulationboardthatgoesdownacouple
feettoreduceheatlossfromthesolarwalltothefoundation.Thisinsulationisshowninthe"SillAtGrade"illustration.
Someformofsummeroverheatprotectionisagoodideatopreventthesolarwallfromcollectingheatandtransferringit
tothelivingspaceduringthesummer.Anoverhangcanbeusedtoblockthesummersun,butstillallowthelower
wintersuntohitthewall.Youcanfindanoverhangdesigntoolhere.
SolarwallsdonothaveashighacollectionefficiencyasdirectgainwindowsorThermosyphoningwallcollectors,but
canbeagoodchoice,particularlyifheatiswantedlaterintheday,orifawindoworThermosyphoningwallcollector
wouldbedifficulttobuildorundesirable.
Thetripleglazingshownintheplanis,perhaps,abitoverthetopmostTrombewallsusedoubleglazing.
Gary05/14/2006

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