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SPACE HEATING : Direct Hot Air Heating, Heat Pump Preheat, Air Radiant Floor Heating
WATER HEATING: Water Preheat
EQUIPMENT HEATING: Clothes Dryer Air Preheat, Heat Pump Heating
COMMERCIAL: Industrial, Commercial, Agricultural
How to Use Your Heater Boards for Direct Space Heating
Direct Space Heating is useful where the Heater Board air temperature is more than 10 degrees F warmer than the indoor room temperature, E.G. 85 F solar air to a 75F room. In this case, the solar heated air can be blown directly in to the occupied space. Even at this temperature, the air stream moving at high speed directly from the fan will feel cool. (Try blowing your 85F breath across your hand 6” from your face, it will feel cool, due to the moving air). However, a room full of 85 F still air, will feel warm.
Most Heater Board installations are designed to deliver outside fresh air, on sunny days, at about 35-50 degrees F above outdoor temperatures. So, the Heater Boards can be used for direct space heating whenever the outside air is above about 40 degrees F (above 75-90F delivered solar air temperature). If it is cloudy or early morning or late afternoon, the Heater Board air temperatures will drop off.
Direct Solar Hot Air Heating download .pdf
There are three ways to control the operation of the Heater Board fan to ensure that the fan runs when solar heat is available, and stops when solar heat is not available.
You can manually turn the solar fan OFF and ON to match the solar heat available. You can also control the Heater Board with a thermostat that turns it on whenever the temperature of the Heater Board is above a certain temperature, say 75 degrees F. You can also control the solar fan with a Differential Temperature Controller that will turn the fan ON whenever the Heater Board air temperature is warmer than the indoor temperature, or any other temperature you set.
To bring the solar heated air into the house you have two options, cut a hole in the house for a duct to carry the solar heated air into the house, or use a window air supply unit to make a Solar Window Heater.
Cutting a hole in the house wall, (or soffit or the bottom of a bay window) allows you to bring the solar heated air into the house. This may also allow you to install the fans and controls out of the weather. You can also connect the fans to ductwork in the house to help move the heat to wherever it can best be used. American Solar strongly recommends that any solar ductwork inside the house be metal or approved flexible duct. The outdoor corrugated polymer duct is an ideal solar duct for outdoor use, but it not an approved duct for use within buildings. Flexible and rigid metal ducts are available from most home centers and hardware stores. American Solar sells an adapter to adapt the outdoor corrugated polymer duct to indoor duct.
HOUSE WITH HEATER BOARD WINDOW HEATER 
The window air supply unit is a removable unit that fits in a slightly opened window and connects to the solar air duct. It fits in most vertical opening windows and can be purchased with or without a solar fan attached. This approach delivers a very adaptable solar window heater unit. Unlike conventional window heaters that are only designed to accommodate small solar collectors that face directly out from the window, the Heater Board solar window heater, can be arranged to face any angle from the window and can even be installed around the side of the house and still deliver solar heat to the window. The window unit with pre-wired fan means you simply have to plug the systems into the socket near the window to start heating the room. The window unit without pre-wired fan is appropriate for installation where an outdoor fan is already installed. In the summer, simply remove the window unit, and store until the next heating season.
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