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There are (at least) two "solar attic" heating systems that have been investigated and developed. One was a hybrid active/passive solar house that the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Housing Research Unit developed in the early 1980s. According to this design, the solar attic itself consists of a glazed, south-facing roof structure, thermostat, and air distribution system. The attic is essentially a "sun room" from which passively heated air is actively circulated to the living space below. In 1984, the Massachusetts Audubon Society and the Urban Solar Energy Association built and monitored a solar attic test house in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It provided an average of 11,800 Btu per hour during the 5.9 hours it operated each day.
To date, this solar attic concept has not caught on. Perhaps the two main reasons for this are potential moisture problems and the structural implications of using the system. Substituting a glazing system for a traditional roof surface could, if the glazing system fails, pose significant moisture and associated structural damage. Also, retrofit potential is particularly difficult. In the future, however, as low-maintenance, light-transmitting roofing systems mature, the solar attic concept may prove to be an integral step in the development of sustainable design.
Another type of system uses a heat exchanger(s) placed in a "conventional" attic to capture some of the heat energy from the attic air that is heated by the sun. This energy can then supplement heating of air and/or water for use in the house below.
Bibliography
The following are sources of additional information about attic space heating systems. This bibliography was reviewed in September 2003.
High Temperature Exposure of Wood Structures in Solar Systems Final Report, B.E. & C. Engineers, Inc., Tukwila, WA, 1983. Volume 3 of Residential Solar Heating Demonstration: Final Report of the Management Support Contractor. 75 pp. Report No. PB-84-188523/ll. Available from the National Technical Information Service.
"The Hot Stuff," P. Skerrett, Popular Science, (247:9) p. 50, September, 1993.
"Solar Attic House," R. Stepler, Popular Science, (214:1) pp. 68-70, January 1979. Describes a Department of Agriculture prototype.
"Solar Attics: Applications, Design, Construction, and Performance as Illustrated by a Cambridge, Massachusetts Retrofit," S. Nadel, Proceedings of the Ninth National Passive Solar Conference, Columbus, OH, September 23, 1984. Available from the American Solar Energy Society.
This fact sheet was reviewed for accuracy in September 2003.
NOTICE
This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States government. Neither the United States government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States government or any agency thereof.
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