Modular solar greenhouse with elevated overhead heat storage material and movable insulation barriers and method and system for solar heating of attached living space using thermostat-controlled air circulation for harvesting heat

A system for heating a home or other building containing living space in the northern hemisphere using solar energy to provide a significant portion of the annual heating effect comprising:

• a solar greenhouse having a top portion adapted to be attached to the southerly facing side wall of a building at a predetermined distance above the floor level of the greenhouse,
• said solar greenhouse having a transparent eave region adapted for facing in a southerly direction for sloping downwardly and outwardly in a direction away from the building,
• said transparent eave region being multiple glazed,
• a plurality of mullions extending downwardly in a southerly direction from said eave region for sloping downwardly and outwardly away from the building at an angle in the range from 50.degree. to 70.degree. to the horizontal, being a steeper slope than the average slope of said eve region,
• at least one multiple-glazing transparent window mounted between and being supported by a pair of said mullions, said window sloping downwardly and outwardly in a southerly direction at the same angle as said mullions, said multiple glazing window facing in a southerly direction,
• said multiple glazing of the eave region plus said multiple glazing of the window having an average "U" factor of no more than 0.56 Btu per square foot, per hour, per .degree.F. difference between the inside and outside temperature,
• said solar greenhouse having a front vertical region forming a kneewall below said window,
• said front vertical region extending down from the bottom of said window to the floor level and having thermal insulation at least equal to one inch of insulating foam,
• said solar greenhouse containing thermal storage mass in addition to the structural components of the greenhouse, said thermal storage mass providing a storage capability per square foot of southerly facing transparent glazing material in the range from 18 to 45 Btu of heat capacity per average degree F. temperature change of the storage mass,
• said thermal storage mass being supported in said solar greenhouse at an elevation above reasonable headroom level and being positioned for solar radiation to impinge thereon during the normal heating season for said building,
• the northerly side of said solar greenhouse being adapted to be defined by said southerly facing side wall of the building,
• said northerly side having an opening therein at an elevated location for providing communication at said elevated location between the interior of said greenhouse structure and said living space for circulating solar energy heated warm air from the interior of said solar greenhouse into said living space,
• said northerly side having provision for return circulation of air from the living space into the interior of said solar greenhouse near the floor,
• fan means for producing said circulation,
• control means for controlling the operation of said fan means,
• said control means including first and second sensing means,
• said first sensing means being positioned within said living space at a location for providing sensing of air temperature representative of the actual air temperature in said living space,
• said second sensing means being positioned at an elevated location in the interior of said solar greenhouse and being responsive to the air temperature at said elevated location,
• said control means actuating said fan means whenever the air temperature in the interior of the solar greenhouse at said elevated location exceeds a predetermined differential in temperature above the actual temperature of the air being sensed by said first sensing means for harvesting useful solar energy heated air from said solar greenhouse into said living space.