Solar thermal collector

A solar thermal collector is for solar thermal energy for the production of heat what the solar module is for the photovoltaic system for the production of electricity. The heat generated is used to heat water, to provide heating or to supplement another heating system.

Typically, the solar collector is installed on the roof as a visible flat plate or tube collector. In addition, there are other types of solar collectors that are not quite as common, such as the air collector, which uses air as a heat transfer medium, and hybrid collectors that combine photovoltaic and solar thermal energy.

In the thermally insulated solar collectors, solar absorbers heat up as a result of solar radiation and transfer the heat to a carrier medium, which usually consists of a water mixture. A heat exchanger uses the heated carrier medium to warm up the heating water and, in a separate heating circuit, the service water; it is then pumped either immediately to the tapping points or into a solar heat storage tank for later use.

Learn here about solar thermal energy.

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