缓解能源短缺的一种方法是利用非常规能源来满足一部分国家能源总需求。由于与目前使用的其他能源相比，太阳能的强度相对较低，因此尝试利用太阳能来满足低温能源需求似乎是合乎逻辑的，。例如，占美国总能源使用量约22%的空间供暖和家用热水（参考文献1）（参考文献2）。作为在宾夕法尼亚大学国家能源管理与动力中心进行的关于节约和更好利用能源的研究项目的一部分，（由国家科学基金会支持的研究，Grant Nos. GI—27 76和GI—29 729）对住宅的太阳能加热进行了详细的调查（参考文献3）。 本文介绍了用于确定系统性能的程序，以及通过太阳能增强空间供暖系统节省的燃料量的季节变化。引用:ASHRAE交易，第81卷，第一部分，新泽西州大西洋城

One way of alleviating the energy shortage is the utilization of nonconventional energy sources to satisfy a portion of the total national energy demand. Since solar energy is of relatively low intensity compared to other energy sources currently employed, it seems logical to attempt to apply solar energy to satisfy low-temperature energy demands,. such as space heating and domestic water heating (Ref I) which account for approximately 22 percent of the total energy use in the United States (Ref 2).As part of a research project on conservation and better utilization of energy performed at the National Center for Energy Management and Power of the University of Pennsylvania, (supported by National Science Foundation, Research Applied to National Needs, Grant Nos. GI-27976 and GI-29729) a detailed investigation into solar heating of residences was performed (Ref 3). This paper presents the procedures used to determine the system performance and the seasonal variation of the amount of fuel saved by solar augmentation of a spaceheating system.