Flat plate collectors:  

Above - The flat plate collector is the most common form of solar energy conversion in domestic use today.

Flat plate collectors are the most commonly used arrangement for domestic hot water systems. These flat plate collectors are sophisticated greenhouses that trap and use the sun’s heat to raise the temperature of water up to about 70 degrees Celsius.

For more information about flat plate collectors, go to:
flasolar.com/active_dhw_flat_plate.htm

Perth, with its abundance of sunshine, has become a world leader in the research and use of this type of water heater. Because dark colours absorb more heat than light colours, the collector surfaces are usually painted black to absorb as much heat from the sun as possible. This enables water circulating through the panel to reach a higher temperature. Some collectors have a special surface, which reduces the amount of heat re-radiated from the collector. These produce hotter water.

Above - testing of new solar flat plate collectors to evaluate their efficiency, durability and dependability - important factors in the further development of this technology.

Throughout Australia, hot water accounts for about 30 per cent of residential energy use. Only about five per cent of Australian households have solar hot water systems. However, there is a higher use of solar hot water systems in Western Australia. Solar water heaters represent about 20 per cent of all Western Australian hot water systems, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

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