The Low Carbon Partnership

Types of solar thermal How it works Site considerations Evacuated tube solar collectors Costs and Maintenance

Types of solar thermal

There are two main types of solar thermal 'collector' - flat plate and evacuated tube.

Flat plate collectors

A flat plate collector usually consists of a
large sheet of metal which contains pipes holding a heat transfer fluid, and which is housed in an insulated panel.

Evacuated tube collectors

Evacuated tube collectors are glass vacuum tubes mounted in rows, each is connected to a manifold heat exchanger containing a heat transfer fluid.

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Another principal feature of a solar thermal system is hot water storage. It is most common for a solar hot water store to be connected to a back up heat source, for example a gas boiler.

Right sizing of your hot water store according to your hot water demand is essential.