A solar collector refers to the component of the home's solar hot water system that collects the heat, the component that is designed to catch and retain the sun’s rays. There are a number of different kinds of solar collectors, also known as solar thermal collectors, for instance, solar parabolic collectors, solar troughs and solar towers. Within the Parabolic Trough category there are flat plate and evacuated tube solar collectors, which are most often used for domestic purposes, i.e. supplying hot water and providing internal heat.

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Items 1 to 15 of 20 total

Page: 1 2

Show 9 15 30 All per page

View as: Grid  List

Sort by Position Name Price Featured Volts Light Wattage Inverter Wattage Solar Module Watts Amp Rating Light Watts Light Temperature / colour Wind Turbine Watts No. of units-Carton/Pack Amp Hours Battery Type Litres Pump power in watts Rated Watts Maximum Current Panel Type Solar Cell Type

What types of solar collectors are there?

The most common solar collector in general use is the flat plate solar collector, which consists of an insulated box of heat absorbent black metal sheets with built in pipes; a flat plate is essentially a solar hot water panel. The pipes contain water that is heated up by the sun and which then circulates naturally until it is delivered to a storage tank above the panel. Flat plate solar collectors work best in sunny climates such as those in South Africa, southern Europe, South America and Australia.

Evacuated tube solar collectors consist of evacuated glass tubes and solar working fluid (usually with a cocktail of antifreeze) and are used to heat domestic water and internal spaces. Heat loss is minimised by the vacuum in the tubes, which means that evacuated tube solar collectors generate more heat than flat plate collectors. They also draw much of their energy from light as opposed to heat, which means that they have a greater advantage in cold climates than flat plate solar collectors.

The design of solar collectors enables to catch the sun’s rays throughout the course of the day, provided they are optimally positioned, which means they should be north-facing in the southern hemisphere and south-facing in the northern hemisphere. They are also designed to retain enough heat or energy to last for a couple of days without any sunlight, and in some cases can even be tweaked to withstand seasonal changes in weather patterns.

Installing your solar collector

It is possible to install a solar collector on your own – DIY style – but if you purchase your solar power and heating system from Sustainable.co.za we will provide you with fool-proof guidance to ensure that you get it right, or even manage the installation for you if you prefer.

View our product range and choose a solar collector that will see you through good weather and bad. We have flat plate and evacuated tube solar collectors to suit every need.