SOLARWALL® is an efficient and cost effective method of using solar energy to heat large buildings.
The patented metal wall cladding and air handling system can:
heat intake air;
improve indoor air quality;
improve heat distribution;
provide summer cooling;
decrease maintenance costs.
Bombardier's 100,000 ft2 (10,000 m2)
SOLARWALL® is the world's largest
solar air heating system
Federal Express distribution center, Colorado
SOLARWALL® technology has proven to be effective in new and retrofit applications:
apartment buildings
industrial plants and warehouses
commercial buildings
crop drying
residential
SolarRoof
Popular Science magazine, Research & Development Magazine, and the United States Department of
Energy all agree that SOLARWALL is a technology at the top of its field.
Our customers are our best advertisers. SOLARWALL® systems have been designed and installed for the
Ford Motor Company, the U.S. Army, Bombardier, Federal Express, and the Windsor Housing Authority.
A SOLARWALL® solar air heating system is based on a metal (aluminum or steel) cladding that is
installed on the south-facing wall of a building. The system operates in a very simple manner using
economical and environmentally-benign solar energy to heat buildings:
the dark-colored metal cladding is heated by solar radiation
ventilation fans located at the top of the wall create a negative pressure in the cavity between the cladding
and the building
outside air is drawn through tiny holes in the SOLARWALL® and is heated by the metal panels
the air rises in the cavity to a plenum at the top of the wall
the incoming warm air is ducted to the nearest fan
warm, fresh air is distributed throughout the building
SOLARWALL® also reduces building heat loss during the winter. All buildings lose heat to the outdoors.
On the south-facing wall, heat lost to the cavity between the metal panels and the building is captured by
the incoming air and returned to the building along with the heated fresh air from the SOLARWALL®.
Even at night, a SOLARWALL® acts to reduce building heat loss.
SOLARWALL® is suitable for both new and retrofit applications. In new construction, the
SOLARWALL® replaces conventional wall cladding. SOLARWALL® is available in many attractive
colors (all dark, to increase solar heat gain).
Roof Mounted Fan
SOLARWALL® winter daytime operation
Typical SOLARWALL® Construction
SOLARWALL® panels on typical metal wall construction
SOLARWALL® panels on typical block wall construction
Summer Cooling
SOLARWALL® provides summer cooling by preventing solar radiation from striking the south wall of a
building. Warm air between the SOLARWALL® and the building rises and is ventilated through holes at
the top of the cladding. This reduces cooling loads in the building. Fresh ventilation air is drawn directly
into the building by way of by-pass dampers.
Indoor Air Quality
Good indoor air quality is the result of an adequate, continuous, supply of fresh outdoor air. ASHRAE (the
American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers) states that the best way to
avoid illness due to poor indoor air quality is to increase the volume of fresh air entering a building. The
negative impact of uncontrolled entry of outdoor air is increased heating costs. SOLARWALL® solar
energy systems can solve this problem by using solar energy to preheat ventilation air.
Maintenance
The movement of moisture through masonry walls causes bricks to crumble. Installing a SOLARWALL®
protects walls from rain and moisture. The cost of a SOLARWALL® installation over a masonry wall can
be recovered from the energy savings by the use of free solar energy to lower fuel costs.
Performance and Economics
operating efficiency of up to 75% (rated by both the Canadian and US governments)
on a sunny day, the temperature in the SOLARWALL® can raise the air temperature by 30o to 76oF (16o
to 40oC) depending on flow rate
the cost of a SOLARWALL® solar heating system in new construction is usually less than the cost of a
brick wall or even a metal-clad wall; thus, energy savings are realized, with no payback period
even on cloudy days, the SOLARWALL® provides significant energy savings as a preheating system for
ventilation air
a typical SOLARWALL® installation produces 50 to 70 kwh/ft2 (500 to 700kWh/m2)
energy savings of $1 to $6/ft2 ( $10 to $60/m2) of wall during the heating season; if a SOLARWALL® is
utilized for process air heating, the savings are even greater
the economic benefits of the SOLARWALL® system on the Federal Express distribution center in
Colorado indicate that savings will be $12,000 US annually, and that 254,000 pounds (115,000 kilograms)
of carbon dioxide emissions will not be released into the atmosphere
paybacks of 1 to 6 years for most installations
Air-temperature rise vs. Solar radiation for various flow rates:
A=1cfm/ft², B=4cfm/ft², C=7cfm/ft²
SOLARWALL® Performance and Economics
Operating Efficiency: up to 75%
Estimated RSI value: 9 (R-value: 50)
Annual Energy Savings: $1- $6/ft2 ($10 - $60/m2)
Estimated Payback Period:
New: 0 - 3 Years
Retrofit: 3 - 8 Years
Products
Specification | Commercial/Industrial | Multi-Residential
Multi-Residential Buildings
Windsor Housing Authority
World's tallest solar collector
SOLARWALL® solar heating systems have been installed on many medium and high rise apartment
buildings. The cladding acts to heat ventilation air as well as protect masonry walls from moisture.
Solar heated air is collected at the top of the SOLARWALL® panels and is ducted to the rooftop fan that
supplies air to the building. All large apartment buildings have pressurized corridors to meet safety codes;
the air required for this use can be heated by the SOLARWALL®.
In apartment installations, SOLARWALL® solar systems are sized according to the air required for
ventilation. In some cases, this means that only a portion of the south facing building wall needs to be
covered by a SOLARWALL® cladding. Even a south-facing penthouse wall is sufficient to provide fuel
savings by the use of solar energy to heat ventilation air.
Conserval Engineering can assess your building for a SOLARWALL® installation. Please print out the
SOLARWALL® Project Data Sheet and fax or mail it back. Please see Adobe to download the latest PDF
reader.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------Commercial/Industrial Buildings
Bombardier's 100,000 ft2 (10,000 m2) SOLARWALL® is the world's largest solar air heating system
SOLARWALL® has been used very effectively in industrial and warehouse buildings. It performs several
functions:
solar heats ventilation air
reduces wall heat loss
eliminates stratification of warm air at ceiling level
reduces cold drafts throughout the building
improves the effectiveness of combustion
flues and exhaust fans
SOLARWALL at the Ford Motor Company heats fresh air, insulates south wall, stops drafts, and improves
comfort for employees. Both management and employees are pleased with the improvements provided by
SOLARWALL®.
Ford Motor Company, Oakville, Ontario
SOLARWALL® fans have several characteristics of interest in industrial applications:
modulating outside air and return dampers
discharge air temperature sensor and controls
flame-retardant ducting
SOLARWALL® solar heating systems can be used over steel clad or concrete block walls. It can replace
conventional cladding in new construction.
The Federal Express company used SOLARWALL® solar heating cladding on its new distribution center
in Colorado. Building codes required that the building be ventilated at a rate of 1.5 cfm/ft2 (7.5 l/s per m2)
of floor area, or 90,000cfm (42 m3/s) for the large FEDEX building. Heating this air by conventional
means would have been very expensive. A 5,000 ft2 (465 m2) SOLARWALL® system heats 45,000 cfm
(21 m3/s) of air on a continuous basis. Additional fresh outdoor air can be admitted by fan units when
necessary.
Federal Express distribution center, Colorado
It is estimated that the SOLARWALL® will reduce the building heating requirements by 2,300 million
BTUs of natural gas per year, approximately $12,000 (US) in energy savings. The incremental cost of the
SOLARWALL® increased lease payments by $4,800 a year. This means that FEDEX will save over
$7,000 a year in operating costs for the 10 year term of the lease.
Better yet, as a responsible corporate citizen, FEDEX saved the 254,000 pounds (115,000 kilograms) of
carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of gas to heat the building.
Conserval Engineering can assess your building for a SOLARWALL® installation. Please print out the
SOLARWALL® Project Data Sheet and fax or mail it back. Please see Adobe to download the latest PDF
reader.
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Copyright © 2002. Conserval Engineering Inc. All rights reserved.
The SOLARWALL® system is engineered for each application. To receive a quote for your building,
please complete as much as possible of the project data sheet.
SOLARWALL® roof integrated panels are being used to dry numerous crops around the world.
Commercial drying operations can displace fossil fuels used in most driers by adding SOLARWALL®
panels as a preheater or primary heater. Solar heat for drying air will not burn or harm many delicate foods,
which may happen with steam heated or fossil-fuel heated air.
New Construction
Drying chambers can incorporate solar heating by covering the entire roof and walls of the chambers and
productions buildings with SOLARWALL® metal panels. Each square metre of SOLARWALL® panel is
roughly equivalent to a 500-watt heater.
Retrofit
Existing crop drying operations can be easily converted to solar heat by the installation of SOLARWALL®
solar heating panels on nearby roofs or walls and connecting the panels to the intake of drier fans. Existing
burners can be turned off entirely, or used to augment nighttime heating. The SOLARWALL® system
utilizes existing fans to save even more energy.
Applications
 dries all types of produce
 excellent for tea, coffee, fruit, spices, rubber, cocoa beans, rice, timber, nuts, manure
 wall or roof mount
 works with tunnel, trough, conveyor and other types of driers
SOLARWALL® panels drying tea leaves