Economic Feasibility of Trombe Wall for Depressed Communities

摘要

The masonry thermal storage walls frequently referred to as the Trombe Wall are assessed for their economic feasibility in retrofitting existing residences for the Trombe wall passive solar heating in Cincinnati's depressed communities. The Trombe wall system is described. A literature review is made and the evaluation of performance of the Trombe wall in some existing projects is briefly exposed. A preliminary conclusion as to the applicability of the system to Cincinnati is drawn. Some methods of analysis of the Trombe wall are presented and a performance study of two experimental models built at the Uiversity of Cincinnati is shown. The important parameters needed to retrofit existing residences in depressed communities for passive solar heating using the Trombe wall system are discussed. Cincinnati's depressed communities are then discussed with regard to these parameters, and a building is selected for further study. The analysis of the building selected and its solar heating performance when retrofitted with a Trombe wall are addressed. Architectural and construction details are also shown, and the cost of the application is estimated. Finally, economic anlaysis of the selected building, and conclusion to the applicability of the Trombe wall in depressed areas in Cincinnati are presented. (ERA citation 08:014425)