Solar-Heated Radiant Concrete Floor Slab Kit Build Legalett: Slab on Grade Super-Insulated ICF Forms

Read All About It! https://www.ecohome.net/guides/3368/s... & https://www.ecohome.net/guides/3203/a... There are many advantages to air-heated radiant floors over hydronic radiant floors, but none greater than the ability to inject solar-heated air into the thermal battery which is the concrete slab floor. Solar air-heating panels are a growing trend in green building, with one notable shortfall – the heat that is generated is difficult to store or control. Many people take advantage of the relatively simple and affordable nature of air-heated panels (compared to photovoltaic panels) to harness the energy of the sun to heat garages and workshops, but solar air-heating has yet to be a viable and reliable option for well-balanced home heating. Until now ….

When looking for a heat-storage solution that would allow us to incorporate solar-air heating panels into our design in a sensible way, we approached Legalett, a manufacturer of super insulated slab-on-grade engineered ICF form kits and air-heated radiant floors, to see if high performance air-heating solar panels could feed air directly into their existing in-floor duct work. They welcomed the challenge and engineered the system that will be the main heat source of our new (as close as we can get it to ) Zero Energy home.

Legalett's existing radiant floor heating process consists of a closed-loop network of 4-inch tubes running through the concrete with a heater box embedded directly in the floor. In this case, added to that system are 6-inch tubes (seen in video) that will feed air to air solar panels on the south wall of the house. Air heated by those solar panels in winter when the sun's angle is lower will be fed into the floor heating radiant system, which will reduce the energy demand on the heater coil. Conversely and cleverly, in summer if the heat isn't needed in the house the heat is diverted to an air/water heat exchanger for heating the hot water tank instead. What this adds up to is Energy savings; ideal for Passive Solar Homes, ZNE, PNE, LEED & Passive House projects... See lots more at https://www.ecohome.net , North America's Favorite Green Building Information Resource or watch our video on hydronic radiant floor heating    • The merits of radiant Floor heating  

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