Whether you are looking for consistent thermal regulation in the face of power outages when heavy snow takes out the power lines on a cold day or if you are looking to reduce your monthly heating bill, a solar chimney is for you.

I am creating an inexpensive modular solar chimney designed to be retrofitted on your house or included on new construction by a general contractor. The SolHeatWall is a step toward energy independence and a healthier environment.

The concepts of the solar chimney have been well known for hundreds of years and various species such as termites use similar methods to regulate the temperature of their structures. The solar chimney works by placing it on an exposed sun facing side of a building. As cool air enters from inside the building at the bottom of the unit, solar radiation hits the black backing material behind the glass and heats the air. The hot air exits the top back into the building either convectively or with a solar powered fan.

Solar chimneys, and trombe walls which share many characteristics, have long been confined to large architectural projects, the DIY community, and a few small companies without significant scale, but the technology represents a massive opportunity to reduce our electricity demand and thus reduce our carbon footprint. It also allows a user to regulate temperature in their building without depending on a functional power grid and without paying electricity prices.

A major thank you to Cade Fiddaman for consulting on thermodynamics and heat transfer.