Technology that was patented over 120 years ago is green technology again. Patented in 1881 by inventor Edward Morse and popularized in 1964 by French engineer Felix Trombe and architect Jacques Michel, the Trombe wall is a massive wall separated from the outdoors by glazing and air space which absorbs solar energy and releases it selectively towards the interior either at night or during period of cold.
Modern Trombe walls usually have some venting at the top or bottom with one way vents making the heat flow strongly directional. Many variations of this have been used throughout the years with different kinds and types of thermal mass. Interior walls made of stone or ceramic, liquids, glass and ceramic have all been used. Electric blowers that are solar driven which operate at night are a popular feature in the desert region of the USA. Trellises to shade the Trombe wall are used for summer month applications in the Northeastern USA. Plantings create a shade barrier preventing the wall from becoming too warm. Passive solar homes employ the use of a south-facing wall that collects the sun’s energy throughout the day and radiates it back throughout the night. New Englanders recognize the Saltbox Style home as a variation on the Trombe wall: the largest wall faces the south to collect the most sun while the smaller walls face the north and shield against the cold of the winds of winter.
A company in Massachusetts, Energy Efficient Building Technologies is employing a new twist on the Trombe wall with great success. According to their web site, they have designed and installed a thermal mass window system that contains 3,000 pounds of water with the clarity of any window. The twist on the Trombe wall in using the thermal mass window system provides a unique, but ingenious way to collect the sun’s heat and retain the gains from solar heating. Passive solar heat combined with windows is the next generation of Trombe walls being used here in Massachusetts, capable of collecting and storing thousands of Btu’s on summer or winter days. For ideas on how to build a Trombe wall or solar wall, you can visit Build It Solar web site for plans, information and plans to do renewable energy and conservation projects like the Trombe wall.
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