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2 Collector efficiency on higher temperature is high Collector efficiency on higher temperature is low.
Heat loss in the tubes during the daytime is negligible Heat loss in the collector & tank during the day-time is high
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(evacuated tubes) due to convection.
4 Convection and Convecting losses is low. Convection and Convecting losses is high.
Satisfactory performance even in extreme cold condition (-18 Freezing of water will take place at high altitude causing
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deg. C) damage to the collector.
7 Temperature range from 60deg. to 120 deg. Temperature range from 60 deg. to 80 deg.
Negligible scaling of tubes which can be cleaned manually Heavy scaling of the copper/aluminum tubes which cannot
9 (inner tube dia. Is 37mm). Loss of efficiency consequently is be cleaned manually as the bore dia. is 12.50 mm. giving
minimal rise to substantial loss in efficiency of the system.
In locations with average availability of solar energy over- Higher system sizing is required to get the desired result.
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sizing of the system glass tube collectors is not required. Hence added cost.
14 Hot water availability for 350 days in a year. Hot water availability for 300 days in a year claimed.
16 It is very easy to replace glass tube. Difficult and expensive to replace glass sheet
The amount of energy a collector can gain through radiation decreases, as its temperature increases above the
ambient air temperature. The graph on the left indicates the efficiency of typical modern Vacuum Tube and old style
Flat Plate collectors at gaining energy at different temperatures above ambient. It is easy to see that the efficiency of
all collectors falls as the temperature above ambient increases, but it is important to compare the efficiencies at the
particular water temperature to be achieved. If we assume that we are trying to heat domestic water to 50°C above
the ambient temperature then the Vacuum Tube system is 88% efficient, where as the efficiency of the Flat Plate
system has fallen to just 58%. These figures relate to how efficiently collectors gain energy at different temperatures
above ambient air temperature.
Tests have shown that throughout the year and per m² of collector, a high quality Vacuum Tube system, such as
Sunflower Solar Water Heating, will produce about twice the energy to heat water than a Flat Plate system. Even
though over the year a 4m² Flat Plate system would produce a similar amount of energy as a 2m² Vacuum Tube
system, the majority of the energy will be produced during the summer months which is not useful as majority of hot
water requirement is during winter months. The blue shaded area in the chart here indicates the amount of hot
water required throughout the year. The coloured lines indicate the contribution various systems could make to this
requirement. Any energy produced in excess of the hot water requirement is wasted, so there is limited benefit of
installing an oversized Flat Plate System.
Infrared imaging photo, it clear shows that heat pipe type solar collector present black, almost no heat loss, heat
preservation efficiency is very good!