Selective coating for solar absorber

A thermal solar installation is composed of one or several solar collectors, of circuitry with pumps to transport the conducting fluid and of a boiler.

Manufacturing solar collector requires protective glass panels [1] in front of the solar absorber (metal substrate [2] with selective coating [3] to absorb solar energy and emit as less energy as possible) and copper tubes [4] welded on the back of the absorber. This system is fixed in an outer compartment [5] providing insulation [6] and rigidity to the solar panel.

Production of solar absorber uses PVD technology. Selective coating is developed by choosing coating layers to maximize absorption of solar energy while minimizing thermal emission (blackbody theory: each hot material emits radiation).

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