We offer two types of collectors used for solar water heating applications. Flat plate collectors and evacuated tube collectors:

 

• Flat plate collectors are cheaper, more rigid and are the predominant type used in domestic systems worldwide. Their efficiency in converting energy in the sun to useful heat in the water is less than that of evacuated tube however. Flat plate collectors are made of a metal collector plate, usually copper, coated in special materials and fitted into an insulated box. Tubes running along the collector carry water, and heat is conducted from the surface of the collector into the water.

 

• Evacuated-tube collectors are slightly more expensive due to the superior quality in manufacturing (a vacuum must be achieved within the solid glass tubing). This manufacturing process ensures that greater efficiencies than flat-plate panels can be achieved on an annual basis.
  
  During the summer months both types will contribute similar savings, however the difference in cost will be noticed during the winter period when the superior performance and heat gains from evacuated tubes will be found over that of the flat plate collector.

 

Collector Mounting

A solar collector may be installed on a building’s roof or in a separate location. A collector on a roof may be fixed on top of the roof covering, for example tiles or slates, or replace the roof covering so that it sits flush. The optimum angle for mounting a collector is 30° off the horizontal. The closer the mounting angle is to this optimal value, the more efficient the collector will be but slight variations do not have a very significant effect.

Most pitched roofs have angles of 30-50°, the actual angle (pitch) generally determined by site exposure and local climate.

Our evacuate tube collectors are generally mounted on top of the roof as can be seen in the diagram above and as illustrated in the photo opposite.

The other system components are then simply linked from the collectors to the hot water cylinder via the pump station and a control unit via the pipework.

 

Please feel free to get in contact with us by email or call 0845 189 9894 to discuss any of your requirements.