The Different Types of Solar Collectors for Residential Use

Solar heating systems, whether they are solar water heaters or solar space heaters all are comprised of solar collectors, and some sort of storage container. Active systems also use pumps and controls to aid in the circulation of the water.

There are three types of solar panels used for residential applications. They are the flat-plate panels, integral collector-storage panels (ICS), and evacuated-tube collectors. Flat-plate collectors are the most common type of panels. The glazed flat-plate panels are basically insulated, weatherproofed, boxes, which contain a dark plate that absorbs the sun’s heat under one or several layers of glass or plastic covers. The unglazed type of the flat-plate panel is simply a dark metal or plastic absorber plate without a cover or any enclosure. These are typically used in solar swimming pool heating systems.

The next type of solar collector is the collector-storage systems, which are also known as ICS systems. These are constructed of one or more black tanks or tubes that are in an insulated glazed box. Cold water is circulated through the solar collector, which preheats the water. The water then flows to the conventional backup water heater. ICS systems are very simple, and reliable systems. However, because the outdoor pipes could freeze in extreme weather, ICS systems should only be installed in mild climates.

The third type of solar collectors is the evacuated-tube solar collector. These usually consist of parallel rows of transparent glass tubes with each tube containing a glass outer tube as well as metal absorber tube, which are attached to a fin. The fin has a solar absorbing coating, which also inhibits heat loss. Air that is between the glass tubes and metal tubes is removed to form a vacuum. This will eliminate both conductive and convective heat loss. Evacuated-tube collector systems are more commonly used for commercial applications.

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