Solar Air Heating at Osprey Wilds

Solar air heat was initially installed for the climbing loft of our Wildlife Barn in summer of 2011, made possible through a grant received from the US Department of Energy and a State of Minnesota solar air heat rebate.

A 4 ft x 10 ft glazed, solar air collector was mounted on the south side (170°) of the Barn as part of sustainable energy initiative to reduce fossil fuel usage through improved insulation, energy efficient windows and solar air heat.

Helping keep our climbers cozy.

The solar air heat system providing heating for our climbing loft will not only help keep our climbers and participants warm during heating season, but will also help offset the cost and resource usage in heating our large, 30-foot high climbing wall space.[/box][/one_half_last]Our location in Sandstone, MN lies at about 47°N latitude. Summers are hot, with the sun almost directly overhead, but in winter, the sun is only about 54° above the horizon. By mounting our solar air collector vertically on a nearly south-facing wall (rather than roof mounting), we are able to capture more solar insolation and maximize our winter solar heating potential.