Design and exergy analysis of solar roofs: A viable solution with esthetic appeal to collect solar heat

Application of a pipeline at the lower side of copper roofs to use them as solar collectors was investigated. An optimized module capable of converting a wide fraction of solar radiation into heat, and at the same time preserving the esthetic quality of the roof, was designed. Exergy analysis, which allowed quantification of the value of collected energy, including temperature effects and friction losses of the heated fluid, was applied. The results allowed suggestion of a rectangular module with four ducts having rectangular cross section.