solar space heating BTUs

Amy, thanks for the reply.

I was leaning towards the SunMate because it has the higher BTU rating while also being a smaller panel.  It also has a 10 year warranty compard to 5 years for the Solarsheat.  However, the Solarsheat has the advantage of having the solar-powered fan inside.

But I still don't know how to measure the output of one of these panels compared to my electric baseboards.  I sense that the panel will supply some heat but that the electric baseboards will still be needed even during the daytime.

Can both of these panels be mounted sideways like you did.  I would guess that the most efficient operation would be to have the inlet at floor level (cold air flows downward) and the output at ceiling level (warm air rises).  Having the two vents at the same height and only a few feet from each other make me think that the warm air would simply be sucked back into the panel before it could flow into the room.

Finally, do I need direct sunlight for the panels to work?  My house faces southeast.  I would bet that it's the rare house that has a true southern exposure!

Thanks again for the reply and photos.

I own three of the SunMate panels. Two are vertical and one horizontal. The horizontal one needs to be special ordered with a check valve flap on the intake to prevent thermo-siphoning. With a Southeast orientation I expect that you will get 50-75%(guesstimate) of the SRCC ratings (assuming no shading problems). My panels are mounted 15 degrees East of true South and run from 9:00 to 3:00 on clear cold days.  These are well made panels and will work well given good sun exposure.