Simply Heating Air
| Solar Heater Board FAQs
Can solar heater Boards heat my house?
Solar Heater Boards can heat a house. However, your best use of the solar heated air is to reduce the heating and cost from your conventional heating system. You will want to have a conventional heating system for backup cloudy, rainy, or snowy days or nights. On many sunny days, your backup system may not need to run at all. On colder days your back up system will not need to run as much, since solar heat will be providing a portion of your daily heating needs.
What’s the difference between solar air heating and solar water heating?
Solar air heating uses no water or liquid in the solar collector system. Since there is no water in the collector, there is no risk of water leaks, or risk of damaging the collector by freezing or boiling of the operating fluid. Solar air heating delivers warm solar heated air that can be used directly for space heating, or indirectly for hot water preheating, or fresh air preheating or Air Radiant Floor heating or other uses.
How many Heater Boards do I need?
The number of solar heat you need depends on a variety of factors. These include your current heating needs, and how you will use the solar heat, (year round or heating season only), what you want to heat, ( living space, crawlspace, hot water preheat, etc.). The precise estimate can be complicated. However, with the modular Heater Board, you can add as many as you want using simple duct and connectors to increase the solar heat you receive.
How much will I save?
The amount you save depends on your current cost of heat, the amount of heat you use during a year, and the amount of sun that falls on your Heater Boards. If you use the Heater Boards year round to heat your home in winter and water all year long, you can save about 5 million BTU per year for each Heater Board. Compared to propane at $2.00 per gallon, burned in a boiler, the energy savings would be about $140 per year. There may also be tax savings depending on your state or Federal tax status.
Are there tax deductions for Heater Boards?
There is a 30% tax deduction for the purchase and installation of Heater Boards for commercial use. For homeowners, there is no Federal tax deduction. However, the low cost and high energy delivery of the Heater Boards mean the energy savings far outweigh the tax savings available for more expensive water heating and solar electric systems
Can Heater Boards be installed on the roof or walls of my house?
Heater Boards are designed to be installed on the ground, and not attached to the roof or walls. Most state and local building codes only allow “approved” equipment that is designed and tested for wind and fire resistance on the roof and walls of a house. American Solar’s Heater Boards are designed to be installed on the ground near a house and deliver heated air though a corrugated outdoor duct. In the summer, when no heating is necessary, the light weight Heater Boards can be simply disconnected and stored away until the next heating season, freeing up your yard space for summer fun. Also, if your utility room is on the ground floor or in the basement, the installation on the ground will simplify the ductwork from the Heater Boards to the heating loads in the utility room.
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