Project Overview

Our team was tasked with designing a heater that utilizes both solar heating and phase change material for modern Hogans on the Navajo Nation. Currently, many homes on the Navajo Nation is off the grid and to heat their homes, residents are using unsafe systems such as burning coal, wood, or propane. Salt River Project (SRP) approached us with this project to provide a safe and clean means to heat Navajo homes during the colder months of the year.

Final design.

Initial design.

 

About our Sponsor

Salt River Project is a community-based nonprofit utility that has been serving central Arizona since 1903. They are the oldest multipurpose federal reclamation project in the United States and currently are the largest provider for both electricity and water in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area.

 

SolarThermiX

SolarThermiX manufactures phase change material and the STX 7000 Solar Air Heater. The team is using these products for our project.

 

Green Rhino Building Systems

Green Rhino manufactures industrial strength foam to build houses. Green Rhino provided the insulated box and solar panels to the team at a low cost.