A conceptual breakthrough in solar water heating in the form of a tropical window solar water heater is described. A louvered window that is mass produced and commonly used in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean is employed as a solar collector by replacing louvers with solar radiation absorbing surfaces. The copper thermafin absorbers act as louvers and as solar heat collectors. The window functions as a normal window while operating as a solar collector-water heater. The cost of the tropical window solar collector is in the range of $75/sq. m. whereas the cost of a flat-plate solar collector is about $215/sq. m. Because of its technical simplicity and low cost, this novel system has the potential to be manufactured and commercialized in the Caribbean, Latin America, Asia, and the Near East. A detailed description of the system construction and operation is provided and illustrated by photographs and schematics. Various ways in which the tropical window solar water heating system can be incorporated into water heating installations already marketable are mentioned. And, other advantages of the system related to energy conservation and security are briefly discussed. The research installation used to evaluate the thermal performance of the tropical window solar water heater is described, and some details about the measuring procedure are given. Finally, the research program being conducted is presented, and the preliminary results of the thermal performance of a single tropical window used as a solar water heater are discussed.
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