New green way to heat UK home?

One fairly straightforward, solar panel that doesn’t seem to have arrived in the UK just yet is the Cansolair hot air heating panel. And, as it’s name suggests, it’s made from standard-sized recycled aluminium drinks cans that have been specially prepared for the purpose.

The system has been around in Canada for a couple of years gathering momentum and its inventor, Jim Meany, says: “The modified cans form tubes through which air drawn from the house ‘spins’ through and is heated and then returns back into the house at temperatures of up to 30degC plus”.

The panels are made with an insulated powder coated Galvalume insulated frame rame (Insulated)sheet steel powder coated box frame with a uv stabilized polycarbonate ‘lense’. Joined together in tube form - ten at a time – the cans are sprayed black to enhance the heat of the sun. This in turn heats the air spiraling though the tubes.

Jim, the owner of the Newfoundland company that makes the panels, says: “The cans have an excellent heat transfer capability and are a very sustainable material. The system supplies about 2Kw of heat circulating through your home which will feel warmer than a 2Kw electric heater because the electric heater does not blow air.

The only downside to the system is that it only works when the sun is out, however when installed during the day it will prevent your conventional heater from running all the time, saving you money and making your wallet happy and green!
Apparently a dwelling of 1000sq ft can have a complete air change in 1.5 hours. Working experience indicates that comfortable room temperature can be maintained in a 1000 sq ft.

With the system filtered air is pumped through the first checkvalve, the specially modified collector core, and then back into the home’s living space through the last check valve near the ceiling. The resulting high volume air movement not only filters, but will destratify as well as directly heat the air. One or more modules can be vertically or horizontally mounted on any south-east, south, or south-west-facing wall or roof that is free from shadow.

Each fully automatic, thermostatically controlled module can maintain average room temperature in about eight thousand cubic feet of residential or commercial space.
Photos show examples of Cansolair installations.

More information: www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRZvAAqzXIw