Subject: This morning in the solar closet house

From: [email-masked] (Nick Pine)
Date: 4 Nov 1995 17:06:08 -0500

ambient   house    sunspace  drum      sun power  elec power
                temp (F)  temp (F) temp (F)  temp (F)  (w/m^2)    (w)
                 
 11/04  00:05    50.5      65.0     60.1      73.3      1          12
 11/04  00:10    50.0      64.8     60.1      73.3      1          12   
 11/04  00:15    49.8      64.6     60.0      73.3      1          12  
 11/04  00:20    50.2      64.9     59.9      73.3      1          12 
 11/04  00:25    49.8      65.0     59.9      73.3      1          12   
 11/04  00:30    49.3      64.6     59.8      73.2      1          13  
 11/04  00:35    49.4      64.6     59.8      73.2      1          12   
 11/04  00:40    48.9      64.4     59.5      73.2      1          12   
 11/04  00:45    48.6      64.3     59.6      73.2      1          13  
 11/04  00:50    48.8      64.3     59.5      73.1      1          13   
 11/04  00:55    48.3      63.7     59.3      73.1      1          13  
 11/04  01:00    47.8      63.6     59.1      73.1      1          13   
 11/04  01:05    48.1      63.6     59.0      73.0      1          13   
 11/04  01:10    47.9      63.6     58.9      73.0      1          13   
 11/04  01:15    47.6      63.9     58.9      73.0      1          27  
 11/04  01:20    47.5      63.3     58.9      73.0      1          13   
 11/04  01:25    47.6      63.4     59.0      73.0      1          13   
 11/04  01:30    47.2      63.3     58.8      72.9      1          13   
 11/04  01:35    47.6      63.3     58.7      72.9      1          13   
 11/04  01:40    47.1      63.8     58.6      72.9      1          27   
 11/04  01:45    47.5      63.7     58.6      72.9      1          12   
 11/04  01:50    47.1      63.3     58.6      72.9      1          13   
 11/04  01:55    47.2      62.9     58.6      72.8      1          13   
 11/04  02:00    46.8      63.3     58.6      72.8      1          28   
 11/04  02:05    46.8      63.1     58.6      72.8      1          13   
 11/04  02:10    46.6      62.9     58.6      72.7      1          13   
 11/04  02:15    46.8      63.2     58.6      72.7      1          27   
 11/04  02:20    46.5      63.3     58.5      72.7      1          13   
 11/04  02:25    46.0      62.7     58.3      72.7      1          13   
 11/04  02:30    46.6      63.4     58.4      72.7      1          28   
 11/04  02:35    45.7      62.9     58.4      72.6      1          13   
 11/04  02:40    46.4      63.2     58.3      72.6      1          31   
 11/04  02:45    45.6      62.7     58.2      72.6      1          13   
 11/04  02:50    45.5      62.8     57.9      72.6      1          13 
 11/04  02:55    45.0      62.6     57.8      72.5      1          25
 11/04  03:00    44.6      62.8     57.7      72.5      1          13
 11/04  03:05    44.2      62.3     57.5      72.5      1          13
 11/04  03:10    44.2      62.2     57.2      72.4      1          28
 11/04  03:15    43.7      61.7     57.1      72.4      1          13 
 11/04  03:20    43.5      61.6     56.9      72.4      1          28 
 11/04  03:25    43.6      62.2     56.9      72.4      1          13 
 11/04  03:30    44.1      62.1     57.0      72.4      1          13
 11/04  03:35    43.2      62.6     57.0      72.3      1          32
 11/04  03:40    43.3      62.3     57.1      72.3      1          13
 11/04  03:45    43.2      62.5     57.0      72.3      1          13
 11/04  03:50    42.5      62.2     56.8      72.3      1          13
 11/04  03:55    42.1      62.0     56.8      72.2      1          30
 11/04  04:00    42.1      61.6     56.7      72.2      1          12
 11/04  04:05    42.1      61.8     56.5      72.2      1          13
 11/04  04:10    42.0      61.8     56.4      72.1      1          26
 11/04  04:15    42.0      62.1     56.4      72.1      1          13
 11/04  04:20    42.6      62.4     56.4      72.1      1          26
 11/04  04:25    42.1      62.4     56.4      72.1      1          13
 11/04  04:30    42.4      62.4     56.3      72.1      1          12
 11/04  04:35    42.6      62.2     56.3      72.1      1          13
 11/04  04:40    41.7      62.1     56.3      72.0      1          21
 11/04  04:45    41.1      61.6     56.3      72.0      1          13
 11/04  04:50    41.1      62.0     56.2      72.0      1          31
 11/04  04:55    40.7      62.1     56.1      72.0      1          13
 11/04  05:00    40.3      61.6     55.9      71.9      1          13
 11/04  05:05    40.4      61.1     55.7      71.9      1          13
 11/04  05:10    40.0      61.1     55.5      71.8      1          24
 11/04  05:15    40.1      60.7     55.3      71.8      1          13
 11/04  05:20    40.1      61.2     55.3      71.8      1          24
 11/04  05:25    42.0      61.5     55.3      71.8      1          13
 11/04  05:30    40.3      61.1     55.3      71.8      1          25
 11/04  05:35    39.9      61.1     55.2      71.7      1          13
 11/04  05:40    39.5      60.6     55.0      71.7      1          13
 11/04  05:45    39.3      60.9     54.8      71.6      1          28
 11/04  05:50    40.3      60.8     54.7      71.6      1          13
 11/04  05:55    41.0      61.2     54.7      71.6      1          13
 11/04  06:00    39.5      61.1     54.8      71.6      1          28
 11/04  06:05    39.0      60.7     54.8      71.6      1          12
 11/04  06:10    39.4      60.5     54.7      71.5      1          12
 11/04  06:15    40.3      61.3     54.7      71.5      1          30
 11/04  06:20    39.8      60.7     54.7      71.5      0          13
 11/04  06:25    40.0      60.7     54.7      71.5      1          13
 11/04  06:30    39.5      60.9     54.6      71.4      1          29
 11/04  06:35    39.6      60.8     54.5      71.4      3  (dawn)  12
 11/04  06:40    38.4      60.4     54.4      71.4      6          29
 11/04  06:45    38.5      60.1     54.2      71.3      9          13
 11/04  06:50    38.6      60.1     54.2      71.3     12          12
 11/04  06:55    38.5      60.1     54.2      71.3     14          30
 11/04  07:00    38.1      59.2     54.2      71.2     17          13
 11/04  07:05    38.8      59.8     54.3      71.2     20          28
 11/04  07:10    39.0      59.9     54.4      71.2     24          12
 11/04  07:15    38.6      59.8     54.3      71.2     26          26
 11/04  07:20    39.8      60.2     54.5      71.1     29          12
 11/04  07:25    38.7      59.7     54.6      71.1     31          25
 11/04  07:30    39.8      59.9     54.6      71.1     37          12
 11/04  07:35    41.2      60.6     54.6      71.1     88          29
 11/04  07:40    40.0      60.5     54.9      71.1    248          12
 11/04  07:45    41.7      60.5     57.7      71.0    407          12
 11/04  07:50    41.8      61.3     63.5      71.0    449          28
 11/04  07:55    40.9      60.8     68.3      71.0    480          12
 11/04  08:00    40.2      60.6     72.0      71.0    511          16
 11/04  08:05    39.5      60.8     75.5      71.1    534          33
 11/04  08:10    41.1      62.4     79.6      71.2    553          23
 11/04  08:15    40.8      62.4     82.4      71.3    572          24
 11/04  08:20    40.4      62.5     85.2      71.4    598          35
 11/04  08:25    40.5      63.0     87.9      71.5    617          35
 11/04  08:30    40.4      63.6     90.8      71.6    635          35
 11/04  08:35    41.0      64.9     93.9      71.7    655          35
 11/04  08:40    40.9      65.7     96.9      71.8    675          35
 11/04  08:45    40.6      65.5     99.7      71.8    693          34
 11/04  08:50    41.4      66.2    101.6      71.9    709          34
 11/04  08:55    41.1      66.6    104.0      72.0    726          34
 11/04  09:00    41.2      66.8    106.6      72.1    744          34
 11/04  09:05    42.1      67.6    109.0      72.2    757          34
 11/04  09:10    41.9      68.3    111.5      72.4    772          34
 11/04  09:15    41.9      68.3    113.3      72.5    789          34
 11/04  09:20    41.8      69.1    114.7      72.6    805          34
 11/04  09:25    42.2      69.6    116.3      72.7    819          34
 11/04  09:30    43.0      70.5    118.2      72.8    833          34
 11/04  09:35    43.4      72.1    120.4      73.0    847          34
 11/04  09:40    43.0      71.9    121.2      73.1    855          34
 11/04  09:45    44.2      72.6    121.2      73.2    866          34
 11/04  09:50    43.7      72.1    122.0      73.4    876          34
 11/04  09:55    43.2      72.8    122.5      73.5    888          34
 11/04  10:00    43.4      74.1    123.9      73.6    895          34
 11/04  10:05    44.3      75.3    124.6      73.8    882          34
 11/04  10:10    43.7      74.7    124.5      73.9    921          34
 11/04  10:15    46.0      76.7    126.3      74.0    925          33
 11/04  10:20    44.9      77.2    126.6      74.2    813          33
 11/04  10:25    47.1      77.8    122.2      74.2    849          33
 11/04  10:30    47.4      78.4    125.2      74.4    969          33
 11/04  10:35    46.4      78.5    126.8      74.6    977          33
 11/04  10:40    46.3      78.0    126.9      74.7    901          33
 11/04  10:45    45.6      78.9    126.9      74.9    878          33
 11/04  10:50    45.2      78.7    126.1      75.0    927          33
 11/04  10:55    45.4      77.9    123.6      75.0    809          33
 11/04  11:00    46.0      78.5    129.0      75.2   1029          33
 11/04  11:05    47.3      80.9    130.9      75.5    868          32
 11/04  11:10    46.7      80.6    123.2      75.4    854          33
 11/04  11:15    46.7      80.9    126.4      75.6    898          33
 11/04  11:20    47.7      81.6    124.5      75.7    796          33
 11/04  11:25    48.4      82.9    127.4      75.8    959          33
 11/04  11:30    47.7      83.0    129.5      76.1    992          33
 11/04  11:35    48.9      83.1    127.4      76.3    676          33
 11/04  11:40    49.2      82.4    116.9      76.0    507          33
 11/04  11:45    45.9      80.8    122.9      76.0    990          33
 11/04  11:50    45.7      80.1    122.9      76.3    686          33
 11/04  11:55    46.5      81.1    125.6      76.4   1041          34
 11/04  12:00    47.0      82.1    125.4      76.8    788          34
 
                 min       average     max

Ambient temp    38.1      43.1        50.5

House temp      59.2      63.1        72.8

It looks like there is still a heat leak into the sunspace at night. For
instance, at 7 AM, the ambient temp was 38.1, the average house and closet
temp were about 65, and the sunspace was 54.2. If the R20 walls between the
closet and house, and the sunspace, really had an effective R-value of 20,
we would have 

          R20/32 ft^2      R1/32 ft^2
	    = Rw             = Rg
65 F -------wwww-------------wwww----------- 38.1 F
                      |
		      | Tsunspace = 38.1 + (65-38.1)/(Rw+Rg) x Rg
				  = 39.2 F, not 54.2.

So maybe the closet is leaking warm air into the sunspace at night. Perhaps
the Tedlar film damper is stuck open, and should be replaced with something
heavier, eg Teflon. 

Nick