Jet impingement is effective at improving the heat transfer between air and a heated surface. Studies have shown that jet impingement can marginally improve the thermal efficiency of a glazed collector. However, little attention has been placed on applying jet impingement to an unglazed solar air collector. This paper presents a theoretical and experimental investigation identifying the performance characteristics of jet impingement. Overall, jet impingement was able to improve the thermal efficiency of the collector by 21%. An increase in the pressure loss was also measured but found to be small. The flow distribution of jets along the collector was the most significant factor in determining the efficiency. Increasing the hole spacing was found to improve the efficiency. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.