The absorber plate is mounted in a casing that has a clear covering and insulation to protect the absorber plate from heat loss. Other collectors include an integrated collector and storage system and the evacuated tube collector. Evacuated tube collectors produce higher temperature water and are more complex than flat plate collectors. Evacuated tube collectors consist of a series of tubes that contain a heat pipe to absorb solar energy and transfer it to a liquid medium. The tubes are evacuated so that there is very little heat loss from the tube.
Most solar collectors are roof-mounted.
Solar water heaters are used for domestic hot water, pool heating and space heating needs. Installation An experienced contractor should install solar water heating systems. Usually, a roof penetration is required. By replacing electric energy or fossil fuel use for water heating, environmental carbon emissions associated with water heating are reduced or eliminated. A solar water heating system may result in immediate positive cash flow if the monthly cost of financing the system is less than the net savings.