Ground-mounted Solar Heat System USDA

The US National Arboretum is a research laboratory of the US Department of Agriculture. The Arboretum operates greenhouses in Maryland to support the research efforts. American Solar installed solar heating systems to provide heat to the greenhouses and help control the daily temperature swings that put plants at risk during the spring and fall months.

The innovative solar heating and solar heat recovery system uses American Solar’s low cost Heater Boards™ to gather solar heat during the day, and transfer the heat to a ground heat exchanger. The warm ground then releases the heat back into the houses at night to provide a steady flow or warm air and keep the air around the plants above freezing. Heater Boards are installed outside the houses, on the south end wall of one house, and in the overhead of a second house.

The Heater Board System warmed the ground during the day to 55 degrees F and maintained an air supply above 42 degrees F to the house at night, even when the outside air temperature had dropped to 21 degrees F.

For further information, contact ASI at 703-425-0923 or by email at info@americansolar.com.