Energy conservation

Claim 1

Solar-heating apparatus for a building having a roof, heating means, water-supply means and a reservoir for heated water and including a chimney on said roof having an exit opening for exhausting the gases from said heating means, the said apparatus including a solar cell including tubular means composed of highly thermally conducting and radiation absorbing material, means for mounting said tubular means on said roof over the exit opening of said chimney in a position where it receives and is heated by the radiation from the sun and is also heated by the gases exhausted through said exit opening of said chimney, said mounting means including a generally triangular frame structure formed of an open-frame hose, a solar pan containing the solar cell forming one side of said frame structure and a plate forming the other side of said frame structure, said solar pan having a bottom which is perforated and being covered by a radiation-transparent plate which is also perforated so that the gas exhausted from said heating means may flow in and out of said pan, said triangular frame structure to be mounted over the chimney with said base engaging the roof around the joint between the chimney and the roof, the solar pan extending on one side of the chimney and the plate extending on the opposite side of the chimney, said pan being oriented so that the solar cell receives the radiation from the sun continuously as the earth rotates from west to east, first means, to be connected to said tubular means, for supplying water to said tubular means from said water supply means and second means, to be connected to said tubular means, for supplying to said reservoir the water from said tubular means which has been heated by the radiation from the sun and by said exhaust gases.