Solar Collectors for Solar Hot Water

There are two main of Solar Collectors used in SunMaxx Solar Hot Water Systems. SunMaxx Manufactures Evacuated Tube Solar Collectors and Flat Plate Solar Collectors, both of which can be used for multiple applications, including Solar Domestic Hot Water, Solar Pool & Spa Heating, Solar Radiant Heating and Solar Central Cooling Systems. Both types of collectors operate on the same basic principle. Water, or an HTF (Heat Transfer Fluid), is passed through the solar collector. As the sun strikes the solar collector(s) the water or HTF passing through is heated. This water can be used on demand, or stored in a hot water tank for later use.

The two main types of Solar Collectors are Evacuated Tube Solar Collectors and Flat Plate Solar Collectors:

Evacuated Tube Solar Collectors:

Evacuated Tube Solar Collectors come in a number of different types. There are Heat Pipe Style Collectors, U-Pipe Style Collectors and Direct Flow Evacuated Tube Collectors. Heat Pipe Style Solar Collectors are the most popular type of Evacuated Tube Solar Collector, and the SunMaxx-10, SunMaxx-20, SunMaxx-25 and SunMaxx-30 are Heat Pipe Style Evacuated Tube Solar Collectors. The SunMaxx-20U and SunMaxx-30U are U-Pipe Evacuated Tube Solar Collectors, which has a key advantage over Heat Pipe Models: U-Pipe Solar Collectors can be installed vertical or horizontal, allowing for more flexibility in your system design and installation. The SunMaxx-TS20 and SunMaxx-TS30 Thermosyphon Kits are built with Direct Flow Evacuated Tube Solar Collectors.

Evacuated Tube Solar Collectors are useful in every climate and location, down to -60 Degrees F. The vacuum sealed tube is freeze proof, maintining temperatures of over 200 degrees inside while the outside temperature is freezing. This outstanding performance in colder climates give Evacuated Tube Solar Collectors a decided advantage over Flat Plate Solar Collectors in northern locations.

Flat Plate Solar Collectors:

SunMaxx Flat Plate Solar Collectors are extremely afforable, costing only a few hundred dollars a piece. They are also ideal for warmer climates, where extended periods of freezing temperatures are not a major concern. In these warmer locations, Flat Plate Solar Collectors are ideal, and the most cost-effective solar collector choice that you can make. However, one major disadvantage of a Flat Plate Solar Collector is that, like a PV Panel, maximum performance is only reached during the short period of the day when the sun is directly overhead, whereas the tubular design of SunMaxx Evacuated Tube Solar Collectors make them ideal for collector sunlight at all hours of the day whatever angle the sun is at.