Solar Thermal Panels

There are two types of solar thermal panel which are flat plate panels and evacuated tubes.

Flat plate panels consist of an absorber plate in an insulated metal box. The top of the box is glass or plastic which lets the energy of the sun through, while the insulation keeps heat loss to a minimum. Lots of thin tubes carry water through the absorber plate heating it up as it passes through.

Instead of a plate, evacuated tube collectors have glass tubes containing metal absorber tubes, through which water is pumped. Each tube is a vacuum (the air is ‘evacuated’ hence the name), which minimises heat loss. The Energy Saving Trust field trial found little difference in performance between the two. For many people the decision is a matter of their physical appearance.