Solar Collectors

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Solar Collectors
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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

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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 ft2 area, produces 52 kWth

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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

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Reflecting Surfaces

• Cool roofs
• White surfaces preferred
• Metal surfaces offer high albedos but low thermal
  emittance
• Reduce heating costs in hot environments

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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 suns energy
• Metal roofs (2.00 and up)
• With additional pigments will reflect infrared as
  well

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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)