A repeatable test method independent of outdoor environmental conditions and laboratory geographical location is required in order to provide a means by which solar domestic hot water systems may be rated and compared. Three experimental techniques which allow the net thermal output of an irradiated solar collector array to be reproduced indoors without the use of a solar simulator are investigated. These techniques include use of an electric heat source only, use of a nonirradiated collector array in series wiith an electric heat source, and the use of electric strip heaters which are attached to the back of nonirradiated absorber plates. Expressions are developed to compute the input power required for each experimental technique. Solar collectors connected in parallel and series combinations are considered.
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