The Thermal Wall Technology is economically feasible utilizing traditional non-solar heating systems. The TWT home can be operated with conventional heat pump systems and the lower temperature operating characteristics of the TWT increase the efficiency of the heat pump by 39-60%. The TWT offers the same cooling benefits regardless of the heating systems utilized.
Provided solar resources are available there are numerous economic, environmental and social benefits:
- The low operating temperatures increase the efficiency of the solar thermal collectors by approximately 69% (varies with location).
- The solar thermal collector system can be operated in several modes which enhance economic return:
- Send heat sent directly to the walls and floors
- Send heat to a supplemental storage tank for alter use
- Send heat to a domestic hot water tank
- The solar collector system can be run in reverse, discharging heat from the walls to the outside. This is an extremely economic option for providing space cooling, however, the TWT thermal mass characteristics eliminates most of the cooling requirements.
- The combination of the heat modes and the addition of the solar space cooling makes thermal solar an economic and earth-friendly option.
- The TWT significantly enhances the efficiency of passive solar collection with its ability to absorb solar energy directly into the thermal mass of the walls and floors and the ability to transfer heat from the southern exposures to the cooler northern portion of the structure. This offers an extremely cost efficient in-situ heating method.
Passive solar and/or active solar thermal collectors offer a high degree of energy independence. One cannot predict the future but these features, in conjunction with a water-jacketed wood-stove provides heat regardless of social, economic and environmental circumstances.