SolarWall® makes headlines

Brian Watson, Group Commercial Director has been speaking about the North East’s commitment to sustainability, our involvement in NETPark Net and SolarWall^® a perforated Transpired Solar Collector (PTSC).

Talking to Durham FM this morning Brian discussed how the North East region is leading the way with sustainable construction.

“Local authorities in our area are strongly driving a sustainable agenda, ensuring that buildings are constructed with materials that offer a positive environmental benefit, CA, offering SolarWall^® as a proven low cost renewable technology are working with them to help achieve these objectives”

 The principle of SolarWall^® is simple. Installed as an additional skin to a building’s southerly facing elevation, the system consists of a pre-finished steel sheet with thousands of tiny perforations uniformly spaced across the full face of the collector.

As solar radiation strikes the surface of the SolarWall^® it is absorbed. Solar heat conducts to the thermal boundary layer of air which lines the outer surface of the panel. The heated boundary layer of air is then drawn through the perforations into an air cavity which is created between the SolarWall^® and the original elevation behind.

From the air cavity, the fresh, solar heated air can then be used directly as building ventilation air, or if required utilised as a pre-heater for the building’s main heating system, thereby reducing the amount of energy required to heat the building and the resulting CO₂ emissions.

Brian continues “The North East has number of dynamic companies offering innovative products and services, we could all benefit from the knowledge these companies have to offer us.  By joining NetPark Net, CA will receive access to education and networking facilities that other companies based at NETPark already enjoy. The north east is sending out a big message to the industry that this is the place come for new and exciting ideas”