Are there different types of solar thermal collectors?
Three types of solar thermal collectors exist: flat plates, vacuum tubes and concentrating collectors. The choice of collectors depends entirely on the client’s goals for their system. We favour the use of flat plate solar collectors. Flat plate collectors are built within an insulated frame that is closed off with a glass or plastic pane on the sunny side. The interior is made of specially-designed metal sheets which absorb the sun’s heat. The heat, or thermal energy, is then transferred to water, air or some other heat transfer fluid which flows through tubing within the collector. The temperature differential between the ambient temperature and heat transfer fluid temperature can easily attain +70°. This differential is ideal to produce hot water for domestic use or space heating. Vacuum tube collectors collect the sun’s heat using glass tubes that have been sealed and emptied of any air which could transmit heat back to the surrounding air. They permit a greater efficiency of heat
Three types of solar thermal collectors exist: flat plates, vacuum tubes and concentrating collectors. The choice of collectors depends entirely on the client’s goals for their system. We favour the use of flat plate solar collectors. Flat plate collectors are built within an insulated frame that is closed off with a glass or plastic pane on the sunny side. The interior is made of specially-designed metal sheets which absorb the sun’s heat. The heat, or thermal energy, is then transferred to water, air or some other heat transfer fluid which flows through tubing within the collector. The temperature differential between the ambient temperature and heat transfer fluid temperature can easily attain +70°. This differential is ideal to produce hot water for domestic use or space heating. Vacuum tube collectors collect the sun’s heat using glass tubes that have been sealed and emptied of any air which could transmit heat back to the surrounding air. They permit a greater efficiency of heat
