Building heating system, particularly utilizing solar and waste heat recovery

Claim 1

In a central, forced-air building heating system which includes a plenum system for distributing heated air from a furnace in a warm air plenum, and for returning cool air to the furnace in a cold air plenum, the improvement comprising: first heat pump means comprising heat rejector means positioned to directly communicate with said cold air plenum, said heat rejector means being located upstream of an in series with said furnace, heat absorber means, and conduit and compressor means providing heat transfer flow communication therebetween, second heat pump means having heat exchange means directly communicating with said warm air plenum and located downstream of said furnace, said building defining a gable roof and rafters, and partition means attached to said rafters to define a flow plenum extending the length of said roof between gable ends plus parallel, enclosed flow channels between said rafters, said flow channels being open at both ends, the upper ends of said flow channels communicating with said flow plenum and the lower ends of said flow channels communicating with an open space below said flow plenum, said heat absorber means defining fan means, and being positioned to exchange heat with and to pass air between said flow plenum and said open space, whereby air can circulate through said flow channels, flow plenum and open space while its heat is absorbed by said heat absorber means, said building roof defining a generally sunward side and a shady side, said partition means defining said flow channels on the shady side of said roof which are longer than the flow channels defined by said partition means on the generally sunward side of said roof, whereby greater air flow passes through the flow channels under the generally sunward side of the roof than through the flow channels of the generally shady side of the roof.