Dual mode solar heat collector and heat dissipation unit

A dual mode combined solar heat collector and air conditioning heat dissipation unit comprises a system of blinds which move in response to a diverter valve between heat collection and heat radiation modes. The blinds are silvered on a front surface and blackened on a rear surface to ensure that heat gain or loss is maximized, according to the mode of operation. In heat collection mode, a front blind 1 is set in an open position so that it aligns with the lowest position of the sun whilst a rear blind 5 is set in a closed position so that it reflects radiant heat back to a panel 4. As the sun rises higher in the sky, the silvered surface of the front blind reflects solar radiation on to the blackened surface of the panel. In heat dissipation (air conditioning) mode, the front blind is angled so that incident sunlight is reflected. A motor or solenoid 6 operates through a crank to open the rear blind in the same way as the front blind. The diverter valve is switched so that heat collected from the cold side of a refrigerator is passed through a heat exchanger connected to the panel. Preferably, the panel comprises a lightweight multiwall polycarbonate extrusion.