Fredrick Skoog wrote:
Hi All,

I am considering getting a solar heated hot water system and have been
quoted for either the flat panels or the tubes. The guy who quoted for
the tubes said that they were more efficient, less susceptable to dirt
(i.e. bird **** was more likely to splat between them rather than all
over them) and any damage was more likely to mean the replacement of a
tube or two rather than then whole panel (he obviously had a thing
against birds as he cited an example of a bird dropping a stone or some
such)

The next guy was all for the flat panels reckoning that the difference
in efficiency was marginal, that the tubes had some inherent issue with
overheating the heat-transfer fluid and that they were more expensive
with no real gain.

I would be extremely interested in other people's experiences and
comments to try and sort the wood from the trees.

I read somewhere on a site that supplies both tubes and panels that in Germany
panels make up 75% (?) of all units installed.They are less "ugly" and although
they take up a little more space the difference is marginal.

I personally think a larger (modern) flat panel is much more visually appealing
than a big array of tubes.

Pete

--
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