Ilaria Rosella Pagliaro The Trombe-Michel wall, the innovative passive solar solution to heat and cool your home in an ecological and sustainable way, significantly reducing energy costs and contributing to the fight against climate change
@Arnaud 25 – Wikimedia Commons
Have you ever considered how much it costs to keep your home warm in winter and cool in summer? What if there was a way to drastically reduce these expenses by harnessing solar energy? The Trombe-Michel wall might be the ideal solution.
The Trombe-Michel wall is named after its creators, engineer Félix Trombe and architect Jacques Michel. It was inspired by an 1881 patent from inventor Edward Morse (US246626A). The first Trombe-Michel wall was installed in Trombe’s house in Odeillo, located in the Eastern Pyrenees.
This type of wall consists of an inner layer of concrete and an outer glazed layer, making it an excellent alternative for thermal insulation, especially appreciated in bioclimatic houses. However, the installation can be costly and requires the expertise of specialized professionals.
How does a Trombe-Michel wall work?
To construct a Trombe-Michel wall, it is crucial to select a south-facing area to maximize the system’s effectiveness. The wall’s inner layer is made of a massive material like concrete, brick, or stone, and is painted black or a dark color to enhance solar heat absorption.
A transparent glass or polycarbonate panel is installed a few inches in front of the wall, and it must be well-sealed to allow sunlight to pass through. There are openings at the top and bottom of the wall to enable air circulation, which can be fitted with shutters to regulate airflow. Despite its efficiency, the Trombe-Michel wall’s installation cost is high, and there are few professionals skilled in its construction.
The operation of the Trombe-Michel wall is straightforward. The sun heats the glass panel, which transfers the heat to the dark-colored wall. This heat is stored during the day and slowly released into the house at night, providing passive heating. The openings allow warm air to enter and cool air to exit, creating a convection cycle that maintains a comfortable indoor temperature.
Environmental and financial benefits
Choosing a Trombe-Michel wall not only helps save on energy costs but also represents an ecological and sustainable choice. This passive solar heating system reduces the use of fossil fuels and CO2 emissions, thereby contributing to the fight against climate change.
