Interface with Forced Air Furnaces
In a standard furnace, cold air from the house returns to the furnace via the return air duct. It passes through the furnace which heats it by burning gas. It is then blown back to the house via the hot air vents. With a solar space heating system, we install a fin-coil radiator into the existing furnace. The hot water from the solar storage tank is pumped to the radiator in the furnace. The furnace fan runs without the use of gas supplying solar heat to the space via the existing duct work.
Interface with Baseboard Heating
Although baseboard heating can appear to be similar to radiant floors, it is quite different. Baseboard hot water radiators are not embedded in a concrete floor slab. Rather, they are installed at the base of the wall and must dissipate heat through the air. This requires much hotter water to heat the space (typically around 170 F.)
Upgrading old baseboard heating to modern low temperature baseboard heating will increase the efficiency of the system. These baseboards are able to provide maximum output at lower temperatures getting more out of your solar!