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-   -   SunTex Solar Screen project (https://ecorenovator.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1597)

Xringer 06-07-11 04:48 PM

SunTex Solar Screen project
 
We have two west facing windows in our TV den that are collecting heat like crazy.
The inside curtains measure over 100F during a typical sunny day.

The 48" x 48" kits came today, just in time. It's going to be scorching this week.
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...0slot/z208.jpg

I hope get these assembled before tomorrow afternoon.. :eek:

Daox 06-07-11 06:51 PM

So, this is a special screen that reflects the sunlight vs absorbing it?

Xringer 06-07-11 08:27 PM

They are saying it "blocks 80%" of the sunlight.

This diagram/pic, of the shows it reflecting 'solar energy'
http://texaswindowsolutions.com/wp-c.../01/suntex.jpg

My theory is, absorption and re-radiation as radiant heat is going be limited.
Since the material is plastic-like, it's not going to work real well (as an absorber)
and it can only hold so much. If it could continuously absorb energy,
it would melt down pretty quickly..
So, it must be reflecting most of the energy, somehow.

I'll have to look at the material outside in the sun, if it looks shiny, then we'll know.
If it doesn't look shiny, it will be interesting to see what kind of temperatures it runs at..

Xringer 06-08-11 02:17 PM

One down, and one to go..
 
Assembly job on a thin carpet, over a flat hardwood floor..
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...0slot/z210.jpg


Tip: Tape up the blade when you trim off the excess.
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...0slot/z214.jpg


It's the window on the right. (It's hard to see inside from here)!
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...0slot/z215.jpg
Dang, that new screen makes the window look better! :D


Light coming in is cut by 80%..The old half screen is still installed on the right.
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...0slot/z217.jpg

But the view isn't too obscured..
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...0slot/z219.jpg


These things aren't easy to put together, if your hands are a bit arthritic,
might be better to order the pre-made screens.. :o

I'm thinking of leaving the 2nd screen for tomorrow.. :o

Daox 06-08-11 03:11 PM

From your pictures, it certainly looks like it blocks a lot more light.

Xringer 06-08-11 03:55 PM

Now, I can watch my Netflix during the afternoon! :)

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...0slot/z220.jpg
without flash,
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...0slot/z221.jpg
with flash.

It's about 0.03" thick, as you can see, it's got about 16 holes per inch.
It does look a little reflective from either side.

I measured a deck rail that was angled towards the sun and it showed
about 150F, other areas of the deck, with off-angle surfaces were in the 130-140 range.

Measuring the screens from a side angle (so as not to measure reflection from the inside glass),
I got an average of 140 deg F.

Since the AC has been off most of the day, and we had the 400w Plasma
running, the den was quite warm, in the mid 80s.
The room is cooling off now, and the curtains are only about 6 degs above
the room temperature.
My wife was measuring both windows, (while I was building #2),
and found the Solar Screened curtains were typically 15 degrees cooler.

I found that using a special gripper glove (to hold the roller tool)
and roofer's knee-pads really sped up the second window. (30 minutes)! :

Cheers,
Rich

Daox 06-08-11 04:06 PM

So, its more of a shade than a reflector. I'm guessing if the screen was on the inside (I have some casement windows that have the screen on the inside) it wouldn't do much good.

Xringer 06-08-11 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daox (Post 13979)
So, its more of a shade than a reflector. I'm guessing if the screen was on the inside (I have some casement windows that have the screen on the inside) it wouldn't do much good.

I think you're right. One of ideas I had when I first heard about these Solar Screens,
was to install them inside south facing windows during the winter.

They would provide privacy, slow the air flow off the glass a bit,
and would re-radiate solar heat into the room, without bright sun coming into the room.
And, the lady of the house will like not having their curtains and furniture being bleached out by the sun.

Actually, instead of applying a heat-shrink plastic film over windows during the winter,
just use some clear plastic (even a clear drop-cloth) over the indoor screen.
That would really cut down the air flow off the glass!

Xringer 06-08-11 05:23 PM

Some Solar Screen info links:

Where I got my American made kits.
Solar Screen Kits : QUALITY SCREEN CO, Window Screens & Solar Screen Supplies, Kits & Parts Online

Videos:

YouTube - ‪Phifer Exterior Sun Control Products‬‏

YouTube - ‪Making shade screens‬‏


This one really amazed me. Those Stucco screens look like Solid panels!
Visibility through our 90% Stucco Solar Screen Fabric Interview
YouTube - ‪Visibility through our 90% Stucco Solar Screen Fabric Interview‬‏

Xringer 06-26-11 08:47 AM

Where's Mr. Sunshine?
 
I hear it's going up to 80F today!! Maybe this means the summer is going to start back up again?
It sure seems like it's been too cool and rainy for too long!! (No global warmth here).. :mad:

So, today, maybe the solar screens will come in handy!! :D

We are finding the down-side of Solar screens.
Not too useful if the weather in your area is getting cooler every summer. :(

If you live in the NE and have been thinking about buying some Solar screens,
you might want to hold off a couple of years, to see what happens with 'Climate Change'..
Is the Sunspot Cycle About to Stop? - News Blog - SkyandTelescope.com

I'm starting to think about taking them off, until we actually get some hot sunny days.
Since the windows stay shut during cool weather, we don't need screens to keep out bugs.
Removing/replacing them, might turn out to be a small amount of work, if the weather trend doesn't change.

Last 5 days..
http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/...nd=6&dayend=26

My wife does not want me to use the Sanyo to warm up the house,
so we are wearing winter clothes and using blankets while watching TV..

My kid called yesterday. She had a problem with the central HVAC system.
No heat!! LOL!!

At least when we go for walks or bike rides, we don't have to hear the racket of all the ACs running.. :thumbup:
Just need to dress warm and dry..

Xringer 07-13-11 12:10 PM

Climatological Data

It's been getting pretty hot these days, and the SunTex screens have just about paid for themselfs.
Even when it's in the 80s & 90s, (deg F) we are using the AC less, because the Den isn't getting so over-heated..

These screens were a great investment!

Xringer 05-19-12 11:26 AM

Summer??
 
It's that time of the year again. Summer seems to be coming back!

Woburn May Weather 2012 - AccuWeather Forecast for MA 01801

It's still pretty cool in the early morning, but the solar gain in the den has exceeded
my wife's comfort level a few times already. (76F).

So, the Solar Screens are back up. It takes me 4 minutes to install them.
We can already notice the difference in room temperature. (Where's my jacket)? ;)

Piwoslaw 05-25-12 06:24 AM

I put up bug screens on some of the windows for the summer. They are a grey color (so they reflect more than black) and thought I'd check how much sun they block. I used a window on the southwest side with more than enough solar exposure. This is a double window and the screen is on one side, so this allows a relatively fair test. The windows also have light colored roller blinds (see this post), so I checked their effect too.
I measured the temperature of the window sill and the blinds' surface (when down). The indoor temperature was around 21°C (70°F), outdoor 27°C (81°F).
temperature °C (°F)screenno screen
window sill with blinds up24.5 (76.1)26.5 (79.7)
window sill with blinds down22.0 (71.6)21.9 (71.4)
roller blind surface27.8 (82)31.3 (88.3)


So, in direct sunlight the bug screens reduce the amount of heat entering the room by about 2-3°C.

Xringer 05-25-12 07:55 AM

That's pretty good. 2-3°C isn't a lot, but it can make a big difference when the room would normally be at 22-23 °C.


Since my Solar Screens are black, with a tight mesh,
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...0slot/z221.jpg
They must absorb 80% of incoming solar radiation. Then re-radiate the energy as IR heat.
My guess is, the IR radiation can't penetrate the double pane windows very well.
The Andersen windows must be reflecting some of the IR right back into the Solar Screen. (Making it even hotter).

Now that there is an extra layer of insulation inside the windows,
http://ecorenovator.org/forum/conser...-storms-2.html
It's hard to feel much solar energy inside the room..

Our problem now, is the old 42" Plasma TV.. It's providing heating that
adds to the filtered solar gain!
There is a clock/thermometer on that west wall, right above the TV..
It's warmed by the sun on the west side and the TV on east side! (1 meter under it).
Sitting on the sofa watching TV in the evening, I can see it's 27 °C across the room.
But, where I'm sitting, it feels like 22-23 °C.. Which is nice!

Once the summer gets really into full swing, The Sanyo #2 will make short work of any extra heat in the room.

This will be our first full summer with Sanyo #2 installed.
With the Solar Screens and the inside thermal blocks (plastic sheet barriers & insulated curtains),
I expect to see very effective ASHP cooling, using very little power..

creeky 07-04-12 12:39 PM

I look forward to your posted #s on power use.

Xringer 07-04-12 01:50 PM

We got the Solar Screens installed in early June 2011.. Here's the bill since last year..

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...t/poweruse.jpg

But, it's going not going to be real useful, since we installed a 24,000 BTUh
Sanyo in the room on 10-10-2011.

http://ecorenovator.org/forum/geothe...-2011-a-2.html

This summer, we turn on both units when we need some cooling.. :cool:

The Den has never been used so much this past winter and this summer.
My guess is our 42" Plasma (400 watts) has never been on for so many hours.
It's gotten 3 years of use during the last 9 months! :o

Dana Lynn 08-14-12 09:00 PM

Now those screens have been up for a time, how well do they blocking heat?

Xringer 08-15-12 07:02 AM

2 Attachment(s)
We are still very happy with their performance. It hasn't been crazy hot this year,
but combined with the humidity it's been AC weather. See the last 28 day plots pics.

It's only 32 square feet of windows, but if
"the Solar Constant can be stated as 442 British thermal Units (Btu) per square foot per hour"
that's a theoretical worse case of 14,144 BTHh coming into the den.. :eek:
Which is okay during the winter months. But during the summer,
our solar screens are stopping about 85% of that energy from ever getting to the outside pane of glass. :)
These screens are one of the best eco-investment we've made.. And, they still look like brand new.

The only problem we've had is when we put them up too early. Because when it gets cool
on some spring days, we would like that solar gain!

Xringer 03-21-13 10:06 AM

Solar screen has another use. In collectors!
 
Above, I said.. "They must absorb 80% of incoming solar radiation. Then re-radiate the energy as IR heat."


Maybe I was right.?. Today, I saw some neat info on solar space heating, using FG screen as the absorber element.
Solar Air Collector Performance Testing for DIY Collectors

AC_Hacker 03-21-13 11:46 AM

Shade Cloth = SunTex Solar Screen
 
1 Attachment(s)
Xringer,

The title of your thread is SunTex Solar Screen...

Did you know that you can get this stuff from garden supply stores at a much lower cost? They sell it as shade cloth and is comes in various quantities, various percentages of light blocking, and even various colors (even basic black).

Here's a link to one source, it's straw colored and 90% block.


It comes out to 37 cents per square foot.

How does that compare to the SunTek stuff?

Here's 70% black for 33 cents per S.F.

Here's Black 40% for 12 cents per S.F.

Here's one that is probably 60% for 1.1 cents per S.F. (sounds like error, but there is the ad)

-AC

Xringer 03-21-13 09:10 PM

I saw that shade cloth stuff and wondered how well it might work as a collector element.

After looking at the close up pictures in this link
Amazon.com: EasyShade Sunblock Black 40% Shade Cloth UV Resistant 6ft x 50 ft: Patio, Lawn & Garden

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...L._SL1500_.jpg

It seems like horizontal strings with floppy thin flat strips of reflective plastic, connecting the strings.
It seems like air flow might be a lot higher than my 80% screen.
Which isn't idea for the collector design I'm thinking of using.

It might work, if it's not too reflective and can stand up to the temperatures inside a sealed collector box.


Gary didn't like the out-gassing he got with the FG screen..
New Page 1
He thinks it might have been a film or coating & not the screen itself.
He's interested in testing the Suntex screen. (per his Email).

In one of the reviews of the Suntex 80%, the reviewer said he had switched
to using the 90% screen and found it was thinner and easier to work with.
That sounds real good to me. Price isn't too much of a problem,
since I'm not going to be building more than a single 4x8 footer.
That is, if I can sell the idea of a front-yard install location..
Which may not be possible. Unless the winter drags on until late June. :eek:

AC_Hacker 03-22-13 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xringer (Post 28927)
...Which isn't idea for the collector design I'm thinking of using...

I was actually referring to your sun-blocking window coverings.

-AC

Xringer 10-02-16 11:14 AM

Five year update:
 
Five year update:
The solar screens were just taken down for the winter.
They look pretty good, almost like new.
A little white detergent residue on the bottom section, left over from cleaning the vinyl siding this summer.
(They need to be hosed down).
Their solar heat blocking ability seems to be exactly the same as when new.
Visibility when looking outdoors, is still the same.

I still highly recommend these screens..

Daox 10-03-16 07:52 AM

Thanks for the update! I love to hear how things hold up over time.

Xringer 05-30-20 09:39 PM

Nine Years and they are still working fine..
 
8 years, 11 months, 23 days Update:

Since we've been working (babysitting) on weekdays, and not using the den,
and it's been a pretty cool spring, we've not had to put up with a hot den.

But today we were home and it did get up into the high 70s in the den.
So this afternoon, I dug up the screens (they look like new) and installed them.
We could feel the difference within the hour. Much easier to cool in there.
White the sun was still up, I shut down the mini-splits while the evening meal was being cooked (keeps the filters cleaner), and we didn't have any solar heating problems with the den.
Like I said before, these screens were a good investment. They've paid for themselves a few times over..

Xringer 07-21-20 05:20 PM

Looking around for a source of solar screen and found this 75% blocker stuff at Amazon.
Might to the job in some areas of the world..

https://www.amazon.com/Saint-Gobain-...dp/B00LRVK6CS/


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