Concrete solar collectors

A plurality of monolithic precast solar collector panels for use as the roof of a building, each said panel comprising in combination:

• a. reinforcement means contained in said panel for increasing the load bearing capability of each of said panels to withstand the expected roof loads;
• b. a fluid conveying passageway having input and output ends and disposed in proximity to the exterior surface of said panel for subjecting the conveyed fluid to the thermal influence of the exterior surface, said passageway being serpentine to increase the length of time the fluid flowing within said passageway is subjected to the thermal influence of the exterior surface of the panel;
• c. indention means disposed within each said panel for enveloping the input and output ends of said passageway and a cover plate removably attached to each of said indentation means for protecting the input and output ends of said passageway;
• d. a source of fluid interconnected with the input end of said passageway for supplying a flow of fluid through said passageway;
• and
• e. a heat exchange unit interconnected with the output end of said passageway for receiving a flow of fluid from said passageway;
• whereby, the increase in thermal energy of the exterior surface of each of said panels irradiated by the sun is transferred to the fluid flowing through said passageway and delivered to said heat exchange unit.

A system for increasing the surface area available to collect the energy irradiated by the sun at a residential location by constructing the roof and ground supported appurtenances from a plurality of interconnected precast solar collector panels, said system comprising in combination:

• a. a moldable hardenable material cured in the configuration of each said panel and including reinforcement means for establishing each said panel of sufficient structural rigidity to satisfy all load bearing requirements at its place of use;
• b. a passageway developed within said material of each said panel during curing of said material and defined by said cured material for conveying a fluid through the respective one of said panels, each said passageway being disposed in proximity to the panel surface irradiated by the sun and to reduce the heat transfer losses between the irradiated panel surface and the fluid;
• c. fitting means for interconnecting a group of said panels in series;
• d. valve and conduit means for regulating the flow of fluid to and from groups of said panels;
• e. a source of fluid under pressure for establishing a flow of fluid through interconnected ones of groups of said panels;
• and
• f. a heat transfer unit for receiving the fluid heated within groups of said panels.

A system for increasing the surface area available to collect the energy irradiated by the sun at a residential location by constructing the roof and ground supported appurtenances from a plurality of interconnected precast solar collector panels, said system comprising in combination:

• a. a moldable hardenable material cured in the configuration of each said panel and including reinforcement means for establishing each said panel of sufficient structural rigidity to satisfy all load bearing requirements at its place of use;
• b. a passageway developed within said material of each said panel for conveying a fluid through the respective one of said panels, each said passageway being disposed in proximity to the panel surface irradiated by the sun and to reduce the heat transfer losses between the irradiated panel surface and the fluid;
• c. fitting means for interconnecting a group of said panels in series;
• d. valve and conduit means for regulating the flow of fluid to and from groups of said panels;
• e. a source of fluid under pressure for establishing a flow of fluid through interconnected ones of groups of said panels;
• f. a heat transfer unit for receiving the fluid heated within groups of said panels;
• and
• g. a fire prevention system formed as part of the group of said panels defining the roof, said fire prevention system comprising in combination:
• i. a sprinkler head;
• ii. a conduit interconnecting said sprinkler head with said passageway within at least one of said panels;
• and
• iii. valve means for regulating the flow of fluid from said passageway to said sprinkler.