It is already a known fact that double glazing improves heat retention, increases energy efficiency and therefore helps reduce heating bills during the winter months. However, during the summer months when temperatures soar it can also mean that conservatories and other rooms with many windows can become unbearably hot. This is something that Cambridge company, theEnergyCrowd, have seen as an opportunity and their new solar chimney could provide a boost to the double glazing industry as a whole.

The company have discovered that by attaching their solar chimney to the side of a house, warm air can be collected from a conservatory or room and redistributed around the home via the loft. The chimneys are also double glazed themselves so harvest their own solar energy, meaning that even during the winter months the temperature at the top can reach 40 degrees Celsius! Also, due to the fact the solar chimney is mounted on the side of the house and is therefore upright, it has a better angle of incidence and can collect more heat from the winter sun than traditional roof mounted panels.

The founder of theEnergyCrowd and engineer of the solar chimney, Peter Kruger, said: “It has been good to see this system cutting energy use at a time when the recent “Big Freeze” in the UK was doubling household fuel consumption.”

This new technology could provide a boost for the double glazing industry in terms of increasing conservatory sales and the possibility of increasing the energy efficiency benefits of double glazing even further.

Peter Kruger also added: “With 39 per cent of non-transport energy in the UK currently being used for domestic space heating and the marginal cost of adding theEnergyCrowd’s technology to a conventional conservatory being low, this is an ideal way to add value to installations and for installers to gain a toehold in the green-energy market.”

Considering the low cost along with the eco and financial benefits of this new solar chimney technology, this could be a real boost to the double glazing industry as well as homeowners nationwide!

Author:  Thomas Davies

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