Summarises U.S. Army involvement with 30 active solar thermal energy systems over the past 10 years and describes the Army's solar research programme as it applies to feasibility assessment and system selection, design, acceptance, operation and maintenance. States that by adopting a standardised approach for future solar systems, problems experienced in the past will be avoided. Summarises in a table the critical features of the solar system proposed for future Army-service water heating applications.

KEYWORDS: USA, solar energy, solar heating, active, research, feasibility