SolarSheat solar air heating system provides sun-warmed air in winter

If you have a great room with a south-facing exterior wall, you have a great opportunity to very cost effectively leverage solar power in your home.  Jim and Susan Brown of Dearborn, Missouri, did that by installing a solar air heating system from The Energy Savings Store.  The system enables them to save more than 20 percent on their electricity bill every month.

The Browns installed the 1.5kW SolarSheat system with hopes of saving energy, and ultimately cutting their electric bills.  The panels are 4'x8' in size, and can heat more than 1,000 square feet of open space in a home or cabin.  The panel is installed on the outside wall, and draws in cool air from the bottom of the inside wall up through the heated solar panel.  The flow is created using a small fan powered by a small photovoltaic cell on the black panel.  The temperature inside the system might reach 110 degrees on a sunny day, blowing warm air into a vent located at the top of the interior wall.

The system allows the family's furnace to kick on less frequently, while providing a comfortable environment in their great room.  "It's basically free heat.  I have my thermostat at 68 degrees and it feels warm in here," said Brown.  The family's monthly electric bill has dropped by over 25 percent.  Given this, the SolarSheat is expected to pay for itself within five years.  Says Brown, "This is a great starter system for people like me who aren't made of money."

To learn more about the Brown's solar air heating system, watch the story on video on the St. Joe Channel.