A Trombe Wall is a way of heating your home by using the sun. It’s considered a passive solution, which means it doesn’t require special pumps, solar equipment, etc. What it does involve is using any type of material for the wall that will absorb the sun’s heat during daylight hours and then through a series of placed vents, circulate the heat at night throughout the house.
As you begin research into a Trombe Wall, don’t get thrown off by terminology such as insulated glazing material and thermal mass. These are scientific words that represent simple items. For example thermal mass is something as simple as concrete or stone. When referring to insulating glazing material this simply means two or more glass panes that resist heat flow. For example storm windows.
In the easiest explanation, the sun is used to heat the wall facing south behind two panes of insulated glass. Next the thick wall, approximately eight to 16 inches holds the heat not allowing it into the house until needed by adjusting a series of vents. By use of natural flow of air, the warm air goes into the house from the vents and the cold air is pushed to the floor and back into the wall. This exchange continues until as long as the Trombe Wall is warmer than the air in the house.
People have been known to use the Trombe Wall to heat the water in their pipes as well as their greenhouses.
By living green you are going to discover many options such as a Trombe Wall to place into your home. Do your research and decide which way is the best for you as well as the environment.
