Anatomy of a solar collector: Developments in Materials, Components and Efficiency Improvements in Solar Thermal Collector Systems

Solar collectors have a history stretching back nearly 120 years. Yet, taking advantage of new materials and manufacturing processes, they continue to develop to more effectively satisfy the requirements of many diverse applications. With larger scale manufacturing and more installers, in many markets their installed price continues to fall. These factors have rendered solar water heating viable economically in an increasingly large number of countries. Brian Norton of Dublin Institute of Technology and Steve Lo of the University of Ulster discuss technical developments in this core component of most solar thermal applications.