Solar Thermal Roof on coop

[patandchickens]

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Oops, sorry! That sounds like a good plan, then!

Pat

 

[patandchickens]

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As someone else said, the best you'll get from an eastfacing unit is the coop will warm up faster once the sun rises. And because the sun's rays are so weak when it is near the horizon - cuz they have to go thru so much more atmosphere - I am not sure how much you'll get, even of that.

So if it were me -- and you know I am really pretty lazy

-- I would build one unit at first. I would put it southfacing and see how hot it got, for a few days, for reference. (Not 'plumbed into' the coop, just sittin' there). Then I would put it eastfacing and see how hot it got for a few days. Then I would install it on the south side, and decide from what I saw whether it was worth building a second one for the east side

Do you put it on wall or slooped away as "mother earth article" did? seems if it was on wall more heat would hit coop.

The advantage of having it vertical, against the wall, is that you get some direct transmission of heat from it in the day, and a little insulation value at night. OTOH it will not heat up as much as if you have it tilted so the sun's rays strike it at more of a ninety degree angle (the exact angle at which to mount it depends on your latitude). There is also the issue that if you have it tilted towards the sun, unless you do some extra engineering and insulating, the back of it will be exposed to the air and the unit may not heat up inside as much as it would if it were flush against the building.

If it were me, I'd just make it upright on the side of the building, but that is not necessarily the absolute most optimal way of doing it. My reasoning: I am lazy and not sure the last little bit of heating you'd get from fancier engineering would be worth my effort. Doesn't mean it mightn't be worth someone else's, though

JMO,

Pat​

 

[dixygirl]

Probably won't get good results if you are lazy Pat.

In one example they used 1 1/2 inch insulation board on the back and then set the cans in a bed of spray foam insulation. Tilted at an angle toward the south facing sun with the fan sucking in air at the bottom and a tube carrying the air out of the top to where you want it. That is they way I am going to set it up.

PS Oh and one person used an actual double pane insuated window while the other just glued on a sheet of plexiglass. I am sure they will have very different degrees of efficiency.

 

[Davaroo]

No fans are neccessary for these heat pumps. You can use them if you want, but it's extra cost you dont have to incur.

These things have been around a long time and I've seen a few in action. My uncle heats his garage in MN with one. No fans, no sloping - just set against the external wall and vented into the air space, top and bottom.

Yours is a nice design, using basic, recycled materials - why complicate it?