Patent ID: 8235034

Claim:
A system comprising: a solar heat collector including a partly translucent structure surrounding an airspace; a heat receiving structure; a supply conduit forming an air path extending through the airspace within the solar heat collector, between the solar heat collector and the heat receiving structure, and into the heat receiving structure; a first temperature sensor producing a collector over temperature signal when a temperature within the airspace, external to the supply conduit; exceeds a predetermined level; an air pump blowing air through the supply conduit; a control circuit turning the air pump on in response to the collector over temperature signal; a switching circuit having a second temperature sensor, producing a receiver under temperature signal as an input to the control circuit in response to measuring a temperature within the heat receiving structure at a level below a predetermined minimum, wherein the control circuit additionally turns the air pump on in response to the receiver under temperature signal, and wherein the second temperature sensor additionally produces a receiver over temperature signal as an input to the control circuit in response predetermined maximum level, a bypass valve within the supply conduit between the solar heat collector and the heat receiving structure, wherein the bypass valve is movable between a first condition, in which air from the solar heat collector moves through the bypass valve into the heat receiving structure, and a second condition, in which air from the solar heat collector moving through the bypass valve is exhausted into air outside the solar heat collector and the heat receiving structure through an exhaust port of the bypass valve, wherein the control circuit causes the bypass valve to be held in the first condition while receiving the receiver under temperature signal, and wherein the control circuit causes the bypass valve to be held in the second condition while receiving the collector over temperature signal without the receiver under temperature signal, and wherein the control circuit additionally causes the bypass valve to operate in response to the receiver over temperature signal; and a return conduit returning air from the heat receiving structure to the supply conduit within the solar heat collector.