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

Solar Energy Technologies Program

Solar Heating Research and Development

Photo of a researcher in a white lab coat crouched on a roof examining solar hot water heater panels.

This experimental integral-collector storage system uses natural convection to draw heat from the inside of the building up through the exposed external pipes to keep them from freezing.

DOE sponsors numerous research and development activities under the Solar Energy Technologies Program to improve existing solar-heating technologies, explore new applications, and develop new technologies.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), several universities, and numerous industry partners work collaboratively on research pertaining to solar-heating technologies. Learn more about these facilities and the collaborative research projects: