Solar air ventilation systems are ideal for passive solar heating

SAM (solar air modules) are solar ventilation systems designed to reduce the cost of heating homes, offices and commercial buildings. SAM does this in 3 ways:

1. Direct Heat Contribution with solar heating
2. Increasing the efficiency of existing heating systems
3. Lowering the temperature required to feel comfortable

Solar ventilation systems such as the SAM harness the energy from the sun and may be used individually or in smaller solar controlled systems for space solar heating or multiple modules may be put together in a bank of collectors for solar air heating in larger air conditioning systems.

Solar Heat with Solar Air Heater

Our solar air ventilation heating system incorporates solar air module collectors, solar panels and solar powered fans. They are designed to reduce your home or business heating costs without leaving any carbon footprint, whilst improving indoor air quality with solar heating and ventilation.

SAM solar air heating system uses a solar powered fan to draw fresh air though a filter into the solar heat collector, where the sun will heat the air before the heated air is supplied into the building to provide solar space heating.

Solar Heater

The designs of our solar air ventilation system add the extra benefit of the operation of the system being controlled by the sun – so that it only operates when the sun is out – and provides sufficient energy/heat to make a significant contribution towards the heating with solar pre-heated air. More information and specs on our SAM Solar Air Heating Systems is available by following this link to our brochure SAM brochure!

Passive Solar Heating

SAM could be classified as a passive solar heating ventilation systems, as it is a self sufficient system supplying its own energy.

In Australia there is a huge potential to assist people to live green by making homes more energy efficient using passive solar heating for solar space heating.

Efficiency of Solar Air Heaters

GES monitors the efficiency of our SAM solar air heaters on an ongoing basis. Please use this link to see the performance of our test SAM Solar Heater in Surrey Hills, Victoria.

Reduce Moisture- Increase Energy Efficiency

Not only will a Solar Air Heater help reduce heating cost due to the direct heat impact – the increase in temperature of the incoming air also means that the relative humidity content is reduced allowing the fresh, warm and dry air to displace moist and stale air through minor openings in the building envelope. This will result in reducing the amount of moisture accumulated in the building, which in turn increases the efficiency of existing heating systems.

As the solar air ventilation systems reduce the humidity in a building, the building will feel warmer but without the running costs of a dehumidifier or heater. The balance of temperature and humidity is also improved through changes of the apparent temperature.

The benefits of solar air heating and ventilation are not limited to cost savings. Solar air heaters also offer significant health and comfort benefits due to improved indoor air quality as a result of the dehumidifying effect caused by the low humidity content of the air supplied by the system.

GES’ solar heating systems also helps address such issues as off-gassing of chemical compounds and biological contaminants which may cause health problems, including allergic reactions and infections as outlined by Queensland Health.

Solar Air Heater for Solar Heating

Solar space heating is the process of capturing solar energy/irradiation from the sun with the aim of transforming this energy to solar heat, which is transferred into the house via a solar fan.

The simplest and most effective way to produce solar heat is by using a Solar Air Module (sometimes referred to as a solar air heating panel) to heat fresh air from the outside as part of a solar air heating system. This will duct fresh, warm and dry air into the home using a solar fan. The air flow speed will be determined by the intensity (reflecting the energy available) of the solar irradiation.

The amount of solar heat produced by a solar space heating system will be determined by the size and efficiency of the solar collector as well as the volume of air flowing through the system. A 3 module (3 square metre) system will typically add about 25 degrees to the ambient temperature, during a sunny winter day at an airflow rate of approx 200 cbm/h – corresponding to a heat output of around 1.5 kW/h.

The direct heat impact from a SAM solar air module will depend on the design, materials, layout and insulation of your house. The closer the house adheres to the solar passive design principles and the more thermal mass is incorporated in the building envelope for storing the solar heat – the more effective the solar air heater will be.

Solar Space Heating should be a part of every sustainable house in Australia – both to contribute towards the heating – but importantly also to ensure a healthy indoor climate – which often is overlooked when building new energy efficient homes. Lack of ventilation may result in poor indoor air quality with such symptoms as condensation on windows and a need to reduce dampness and moisture content in the house to prevent mould and mildew from developing. This is most commonly done by running a dehumidifier – an expensive and not very environmentally friendly approach. Click on this link, if you would like to know more about: How to Stop Condensation, mould prevention and humidity control.

SAM solar air modules are cost effective solar heat collectors, which not only will increase the comfort of your home or work environment – whilst saving you money, but also offers significant health benefits especially for people suffering from asthma or other respiratory problems. Read here about how SAM can assist with Asthma Management, dust mites and moisture control.

Even if you live in a Solar Passive Designed house – a passive solar heating system will normally be beneficial both for reducing heating bills and for improving the indoor air quality, which often suffers in new energy efficient homes, due to lack of ventilation – a side effect of new homes being  tightly sealed to minimise thermal gains and losses.

To view our Terms & Conditions of Sale or to view/print a copy of our Warranty Form please click on the respective following links:

• Terms & Conditions of Sale
• Warranty Form