(1983-2) Hofener, Scott A.; Oklahoma Department of Transportation. Materials and Research Division. Office of Research & Implementation
In December, 1980, a solar heating system was installed
at the Oklahoma Department of Transportation Maintenance
Building in Chickasha, Oklahoma. The system is based on an
air type flat plate solar collector with an aluminum
absorber plate which absorbs and transfers the sun's
radiation into heat. The system has no capacity for the
storage of this heat so it is lost if not used
immediately. The heat is transferred to the interior of
the building much as it would be in a conventional furnace
system. The air is circulated from the interior of the
building across the absorber plates, where it is heated,
and back into the building. Conventional duct work and air
blowers are used for this process. Because of the
simplicity of the design it is relatively inexpensive when
compared to other solar systems. The objective of this
installation is to determine if such a system is an
economical method for supplementing the heating for this
and other small buildings maintained by the State.
The solar collectors are saving about 45 thousand cu.
ft. of natural gas every year. This savings converts to
about $194 a year at the present (1982) price of natural
gas. The system should pay for itself in 10 to 15 years.