Solar Collectors

Types
• Back-pass solar collectors
– Used to heat air
– Glazed surface
– May be integrated with thermal mass
• Concentrating solar collectors
– Best suited for clear skies
– Steam production
– Concentrates light at absorber which can increase efficiency at high temperature
– Four forms: parabolic trough, parabolic dish, power tower, stationary solar collectors
• Trombe Wall
– Thermal mass designed to radiate heat during the night
– Glass to allow sunlight through
– With added salt fillers stored energy changes from 200 cal/day to 80,000 cal/day
• Batch Solar Collectors
– Water heating
– Glazed water collectors
• Solar cookers
• Liquid Solar Collectors
– Vacuum tubing
 Manufacturers and Products
SES Dish Stirling System Technology
• Designers of large, industrial solar dish systems
• Product made of huge concentrator (dish reflectors) and power
conversion unit (hydrogen heating that runs pistons)
Industrial Solar Technology
• Roof mount parabolic troughs
• Specifications – IST Roof Mounted Trough (RMT) System
• Reflective Module Size 120.75 in. x 45.2 in. (3067 mm x 1148
mm)
• Gross Aperture Area 37.9 ft2 (3.52 m2)
• Net Aperture Area 35 ft2 (3.25 m2)
• Concentrator Weight 55 lb (25 kg)
• Materials of Construction Aluminum
• Reflective Surface Coated polished aluminum
• With 1120 ft^2 area, produces 52 kWth
 Manufacturers and Products

•Solarco Manufacturing Ltd.

•24 Tube Kit
•$2,100
•Works down to -40 Celcius
•93% light allowed in
•3.6 ft x 4.9 ft
 Reflecting Surfaces
• Cool roofs
– White surfaces preferred
– Metal surfaces offer high albedos but low
thermal emittance
– Reduce heating costs in hot environments
 Reflecting Options
• Coatings ($.75 – $1.50 per square foot)
– Elastomeric
– Polyurethane
– Acrylic
• Single-ply Membranes ($1.50 – $3.00)
– Semi-flexible
– EPDM, PVC, TPO
• Reflective tiles ($3.00)
– Pigments allow for 70% reflection of sun’s energy
• Metal roofs ($2.00 and up)
– With additional pigments will reflect infrared as well
 Areas of further exploration
• Alternating cool roof/warming roof
material?
• Designing our own trough system for heat
• Pigments for roofing
• Integration of a trough system
• Current research into reflecting light
(moisture barriers)