U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Solar Energy Technologies Program

Solar Heating Basics Slide Show


Photo of a transpired solar collector. There are red metal tubes running vertically along the side of a warehouse-sized building that preheat the ventilation air. (Caption: A transpired solar collector at a Federal Express facility in Denver. The collector, mounted on the exterior of the building's south-facing wall, is used for preheating of ventilation air.) Proceed to next slide.
Photo of the exterior of a house with many large windows and a wooden staircase leading to the front door. (Caption: This house in Idaho Springs, Colorado, obtains most of its energy needs from the sun. The living space is heated through solar design with a Trombe wall for heat storage. Hot water is provided by an active (pumped) system that uses solar collectors.) Return to previous slide.Proceed to next slide.
Photo of an aerial view of an outdoor swimming pool and the roof of the swimming-pool center. (Caption: This Florida swimming pool is heated by solar energy. The system uses 2,880 ft2 of Heliocol low-temperature thermal solar collectors for the pool, 350 ft2 of AET flat-plate collectors for the showers, and several types of photovoltaic arrays.) Return to previous slide.Proceed to next slide.
Photo shows a yellow home with solar panels; the ground is covered with snow. (Caption: The Sponslor-Miller residence in Golden, Colorado, is predominantly heated by the sun through large south-facing glazing.) Return to previous slide.