Solar Chinese Kang, which combines Chinese Kang with solar water collectors, can provide an alternative in terms of sustainable and energy-efficient heating systems for rural homes in northern China. A mathematical model of solar Chinese Kang is presented to study its thermal performance and energy consumption based on the evaluation of sleeping environment thermal comfort with predicted mean vote (PMV) value. A test rig is built and the analytic model has been validated through the experimental data before it is used to optimize the operation model. The research results show that when inlet water temperature of solar Chinese Kang varies from 35 degrees C to 55 degrees C, the PMV of sleeping environment is acceptable. The solar fraction (SF) can reach 74.3% when inlet water temperature is 35 degrees C in one case study, and when inlet water temperature is 55 degrees C, the SF is 52.6%, which is lower than 74.3%. However, the corresponding PMV is higher and warmer sleeping environment can be supplied. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.