29/08/2020
A Geelong solar air heating specialist can see his systems offering an efficient way to improve indoor air circulation in offices and homes that could prove a future line of defence against coronaviruses.
Phil Baulch has started pushing for the birth of a new homegrown industry that unlike roof-mounted solar PV panels would not be reliant on imported supplies.
In order to live with future coronaviruses, Mr Baulch expects building codes will change to mandate air change in all buildings.
The owner of Python Solar Heating said Australian building codes required larger commercial and public buildings to have fresh air intakes but the only requirement for smaller office and retail spaces was to have the equivalent of 5 per cent of floor space available as openable doors or windows.
“But they don’t need to be opened,” he said.
And if people keep the windows open, there is likely to be an energy cost to heat the air.
“With our system, there’s no energy cost, you are changing the air (in the room) as you heat it,” Mr Baulch said.
Python Solar Heating has been working with Global Export Solutions and owner Arne Hachmann for about 10 years, installing two systems; one involving roof-mounted panels that look similar to typical solar panels, and the other that involves heated air from roof spaces being drawn through a fine filter.
The systems direct fresh, heated air into a house or office through existing or installed ducting systems.
“The feedback I get from most people is that this system saves around half of their heating bills,” he said.
Mr Baulch said the systems were developed during the emergence of sick-building syndrome in Denmark in the 1970s.
Having installed more than 100 systems, he said he had developed exclusive controls and he and Mr Hachmann were exploring having the solar panels and associated systems made in Victoria.
“He is looking right across regional Victoria for someone to eventually put it all together,” Mr Baulch said. “I would like it to be in Geelong.”
In addition to creating jobs and improving air quality, the systems also offer a natural heating alternative as natural gas supplies are starting to diminish.
He said solar air heating was a gas substitution technology.
“It enables new and existing gas ducted systems to operate in gas/solar hybrid mode,” he said.
“The system allows fresh, solar heated air to enter furnace return air intakes.
“The reality of impending gas price increases has created an opportunity for us to think in new ways about the future of gas for home heating.”
A Geelong solar air heating specialist can see his systems offering an efficient way to improve indoor air circulation in offices and homes that could prove a future line of defence against coronaviruses.
