This report describes a low-cost solar home heating system to supplement the
homeowner's present warm-air heating system. The report is written in three parts:
(1) A brief background on solar heating, (2) Langley's experience with a demonstration
system, and (3) information for the homeowner who wishes to construct such a system.
Instructions are given to the homeowner for a solar heating installation in which he supplies
all labor necessary to install off-the-shelf components estimated to cost $2000.
These components, which include solar collector, heat exchanger, water pump, storage
tank, piping, and controls to make the system completely automatic, are readily available
at local lumber yards, hardware stores, and plumbing supply stores, and they are relatively
simple to install. Manufacturers and prices of each component used and a rough
cost analysis based on these prices are given for the homeowner's convenience. This
report also gives performance data obtained from a demonstration system which has been
built and tested at the Langley Research Center. Results of the tested demonstration system
indicate that the homeowner can reduce his heating bill by approximately 40 percent
for a 1500-foot2 home insulated to 1974 FHA minimum standards. If fuel-oil costs are
assumed to increase at 10 percent per year, this $2000 investment will be recovered in
approximately 10 years.
This report describes a low-cost solar home heating system to supplement the
homeowner's present warm-air heating system. The report is written in three parts:
(1) A brief background on solar heating, (2) Langley's experience with a demonstration
system, and (3) information for the homeowner who wishes to construct such a system.
Instructions are given to the homeowner for a solar heating installation in which he supplies
all labor necessary to install off-the-shelf components estimated to cost $2000.
These components, which include solar collector, heat exchanger, water pump, storage
tank, piping, and controls to make the system completely automatic, are readily available
at local lumber yards, hardware stores, and plumbing supply stores, and they are relatively
simple to install. Manufacturers and prices of each component used and a rough
cost analysis based on these prices are given for the homeowner's convenience. This
report also gives performance data obtained from a demonstration system which has been
built and tested at the Langley Research Center. Results of the tested demonstration system
indicate that the homeowner can reduce his heating bill by approximately 40 percent
for a 1500-foot2 home insulated to 1974 FHA minimum standards. If fuel-oil costs are
assumed to increase at 10 percent per year, this $2000 investment will be recovered in
approximately 10 years.
This report describes a low-cost solar home heating system to supplement the
homeowner's present warm-air heating system. The report is written in three parts:
(1) A brief background on solar heating, (2) Langley's experience with a demonstration
system, and (3) information for the homeowner who wishes to construct such a system.
Instructions are given to the homeowner for a solar heating installation in which he supplies
all labor necessary to install off-the-shelf components estimated to cost $2000.
These components, which include solar collector, heat exchanger, water pump, storage
tank, piping, and controls to make the system completely automatic, are readily available
at local lumber yards, hardware stores, and plumbing supply stores, and they are relatively
simple to install. Manufacturers and prices of each component used and a rough
cost analysis based on these prices are given for the homeowner's convenience. This
report also gives performance data obtained from a demonstration system which has been
built and tested at the Langley Research Center. Results of the tested demonstration system
indicate that the homeowner can reduce his heating bill by approximately 40 percent
for a 1500-foot2 home insulated to 1974 FHA minimum standards. If fuel-oil costs are
assumed to increase at 10 percent per year, this $2000 investment will be recovered in
approximately 10 years.