What is this?

[Mark P]

I have seen these from the road before, but never up close. This was on the house next door to a recent inspection. I had always thought they were old solar panels, possible a passive solar heating system or just a crazy sky light. Anyway from the roof next door it looks like there is insulation on the inside that has self destructed.

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[caryseidner]

It looks like a clearstory.

[John Dirks Jr]

I knew someone who had something like that. It had a small blower that would blow warmed air from the cavity into the living room.

[Tom Raymond]

Yeah, it really looks like a defunct solar hot air system. Most likely works about as well now as it did new.

Tom

[RichNSpect]

Looks like a Clearstory, but could be a very old Flat-plate Collector. Although, it's very large to be a collector. Was it built into the roof? Can't see the back of it.

Kevin

[Chad Fabry]

It doesn't begin to meet any definition of "clearstory" (clerestory) I've come across. It's a solar collector, likely for domestic water and the "film" is black film that once was adhered to the back of the glass or polycarbonate. The systems are ubiquitous in my area.