This interim technical report describes the programming, facility, acquisition and initial performance of the first retrofit constructed solar- heated facility in the United States Air Force, the Solar Test House at the United States Air Force Academy. The Air Force civil engineer is responsible today for operating and maintaining approximately 150,000 units of military family housing. As is the case in the private sector, the Air Force civil engineer is experiencing higher operating and maintenance costs due to inflation. Just recently, operating costs have begun to exceed maintenance costs. Higher energy related utility costs are believed responsible for this. Accordingly, Air Force civil engineers are interested in investigating the use of alternate energy schemes such as solar energy for its real property, not only in response to inflation in energy costs but also in response to energy crisis scenarios for a number of reasons which include: providing a mechanism to help offset rising utility costs; providing a mechanism to help guarantee mission continuation at installations that have their normal sources of conventional fossil fuels curtailed; and contributing to the national objective of energy self-sufficiency. Significant work in solar energy is currently on-going in the private sector. This work effort involves the application of solar energy for space heating, domestic hot water heating and air conditioning. However, this work is predominantly in the new construction category.

Project 7903. ADA030843.