Solar Panel Air Heater - Design and Construction

With home heating costs rising every winter, it is time to do something about heating the air in your home without buying expensive fuels. That reasoning caused two men in Montana to create an inexpensive solar panel air heater.

Solar panel air heater design consumed a lot of leisure time for Mark Bower and Jack Sage during a recent summer.

Solar panel air heater construction consumed more of their leisure time that summer.

They did hours of research, trying to learn how to build air heaters for their homes. But they found most information outdated, parts costly or no longer available. Finally, Bower and Sage decided to design and construct their own solar panel air heaters.

Solar Panel Air Heater Design

Solar panel air heater design can best be understood by first putting out of your mind the images of rooftop solar panels. Solar panel air heaters require an entirely different kind of panel. You need panels that will heat air, not water. Your panel will not create electricity – simply heat air.

The solar panel air heater design the two created worked this way:

Air is pulled into the solar panel’s bottom. The air flows through the solar panel in a zigzag pattern, and is 10 to 50 degrees warmer when it leaves the panel’s top (on sunny days). You can move the air through the solar panel by convection, or using a fan at the top.

The concept sounds relatively simple. Careful construction must follow the concept, however, to get the desired results.

Solar Panel Air Heater Construction

Solar panel air heater construction begins by deciding whether to create a smaller unit to hang in a window or a larger unit to place on your roof or south-facing outside wall. The smaller one will create less heat, but may be all you need in some climates.

Your solar panel’s greatest cost will be the glass or Plexiglas needed. A window-hung air heater should be constructed of Plexiglas cut to the window size. Outdoor air heaters require double-insulated glass. You can reduce costs on glass by purchasing used double-paned windows with which to make your solar panels.

Solar panel air heater construction details are shared by Mark Bower and Jack Sage on the Mobile Home Repair website. A search of the internet will reveal other ways to design and construct an air heater.

Solar panel air heaters may also be purchased ready-made, but will cost more.