The incorporation of the solar system and components had the advantage of being installed during a complete renovation of the 2-storey sun porch. Recycled materials were used for all of these projects, including insulation, double paned glass, and copper sheet and piping. The thermal-siphoning air panel (TAP) solar unit is built into the sun porch wall, which has been further modified to maximize passive solar potential. The sun porch is well insulated, ventilated and has duct work that connects the two levels, and which also circulates extra heat into thermal mass (concrete and crushed rock) below the porch, helping regulate heat.
Primary heating system is a combination of oil/wood furnaces. After making the upgrades in house insulation/energyefficiency, with the addition of the passive solar and thermal siphoning unit, total heating needs were reduced from 8 cords of wood to 3 cords and oil consumption was reduced by about 20%.
Future improvements include making the passive solar set up more active and increasing house insulation. Eventually add a small solar hot water unit which would be connected to piping in the solar porch floor and the domestic hot water tank.
