Polymer Solar Collectors. A Better Alternative to Heat Water in Mexican Homes

Abstract

Polymer solar collectors have been developed by the Mexican company Modulo Solar to satisfy the demand of hot water in Mexican households. Traditionally, the solar collectors have been manufactured in aluminum, copper and iron. However, under certain parameters in the number of risers and diameter of manifolds, it's possible to obtain the same thermal performance with polymer collectors of similar size. In addition, due to its high percentage of elongation, polymers can avoid the use of an antifreeze external valve to resist low environmental temperatures. These polymer solar collectors have achieved the functionality specifications required in the Mexican market which are described in the Technical Specification of Thermal Solar Energy for Housing.