Comparative experimental Life Cycle Assessment of two commercial solar thermal devices for domestic applications

The energy performance of the systems (studied in three different geographical regions) proved that both technologies perform more than effectively, with the FPTU system being more efficient regarding the heat retention of the stored water, while the ICS systems presented higher time response in the temperature increase. On the other hand, the LCA results imply that the FPTU systems are less environmentally friendly compared to their ICS counterparts mainly during their fabrication and installation phases.