A solar heat exchange panel that includes a lower plate and an upper plate that together define an interior volume containing a flowing heat transfer fluid. The upper plate includes a plurality of upward extensions and downward extensions that cover the top surface of the solar heat transfer panel and are configured to capture solar radiant energy. The lower plate plate includes a plurality of upwardly extending hollow lower plate extensions. The lower plate extensions are aligned with the bottom portions of each upward extension of the upper plate and almost touching. Each of the downward extensions form the upper plate extends down and is joined to the base of the lower plate. In operation, a heat transfer fluid introduced into an inlet on one end of the solar heat transfer panel passes through the defined interior volume and is intimately contacted with the solar heated surfaces extending down into the solar heat transfer panel from the upper plate. A substantially infrared transparent plate across the top surface of the solar heat transfer panel creates a top interior space that encloses a path of flowing air which is simultaneously heated along with the enclosed heat transfer fluid in the lower interior space.