One of the biggest obstacles with heating a building in the winter time is that the fresh air drawn in through the ventilation system is cold and must be warmed to make it comfortable. Thirteen percent of American energy is used to heat residential and commercial buildings.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has found an innovative way to solve that problem in their new Research Support Facility (RSF). NREL scientists have installed a dark-colored, perforated metal plate on the south side of a building. The plate, a transpired solar air collector, is warmed by the sunlight.
The plate’s solar energy is transferred to the air flowing… Read More
