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A · B · C · D · E · F · G · H · I · J · K · L · M · N · O · P · Q · R · S · T · U · V · W · X · Y · Z   entire Web this site concentrating solar collector A solar collector that uses reflective surfaces to concentrate sunlight onto a small area, where it is absorbed and converted to heat or, in the case of solar photovoltaic (PV) devices, into electricity. Concentrators can increase the power flux of sunlight hundreds of times. This class of collector is used for high-temperature applications such as steam production for the generation of electricity and thermal detoxification. Concentrating collectors are best suited to climates that have a high percentage of clear sky days. The main types of concentrating collectors are:    • parabolic dish collectors    • parabolic trough collectors    • power tower    • stationary concentrating collector SOLAR ENERGY PAGES ON THIS SITE absorber absorption coefficient absorptivity active solar energy system active solar heating system air-based collector amorphous photovoltaic cell annual solar savings angle of incidence angle of inclination aperture apparent day autonomous system azimuth back-pass solar collector batch solar collector beam radiation blackbody blocking diode briefcase solar panels buffer storage building-integrated PV bypass diode candela candle power collector efficiency collector fluid collector tilt community solar access compound paraboloid collector concentrator crystalline silicon photovoltaic cell current at maximum power declination differential thermostat diffuse insolation diffuse radiation direct beam radiation direct gain direct insolation direct solar water heater double wall heat exchanger elevation emissivity equinox ethylene vinyl acetate eutectic salts evacuated tube collector expansion tank fill factor flat plate photovoltaic flat plate pumped collector flat plate solar module flat plate solar thermal collector flow condition foot candle Fresnel lens full sun Glauber's salt global insolation ground reflection heat absorbing window glass heliochemical process heliodon heliostat heliothermal heliothermic heliothermometer heliotropic hemispherical bowl technology high-temperature collector hot spot I-V curve illuminance incident light incident solar radiation indirect solar gain system indirect solar water heater infrared radiation insolation instantaneous efficiency interconnect internal collector storage irradiance isolated solar gain system isolation diode junction box light-induced defect light trapping liquid-based active solar heating liquid-based solar collector local solar time low-flow solar water heating system low-temperature collector low emissivity glass 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window solar air heater solar altitude angle solar architecture solar array solar azimuth solar building solar cell solar charge controller solar chimney power station solar collector solar collector orientation and tilt solar constant solar cooker solar cooling solar day solar declination solar distillation solar electric system solar electricity site resource eval. solar energy solar energy for crop drying solar film solar fraction solar furnace solar gain solar heat gain coefficient solar heating solar heating for homes & buildings solar heating system solar hot water for agriculture solar hot water for aquaculture solar hot water system solar irradiation solar mass solar module solar noon Solar One solar oven solar panel solar photovoltaic device solar pond solar power system solar radiation solar simulator solar space heater solar spectrum solar swimming pool heating solar thermal electric system solar thermal parabolic dish solar thermal system solar time solar transmittance solar trough system Solar Two solar ventilation air heating solar voltaic device solar water heater cost estimation solar water heater economics solar water heater efficiency solar water heater freeze protection solar water heater maint. & repair solar water heater site resource eval. solar water heater sizing solar water heating system corrosion solar water heating sys. bldng codes solarium solar-grade silicon solar-powered vehicle solstice spectral energy distribution spectral irradiance spectral reflectance spectrally selective coating split-spectrum cell Staebler-Wronski effect stagnation temperature stand-off mounting standard operating conditions standard test conditions stationary concentarting collector sun path diagram sun tempered building sunspace swimming pool absorber temperature coefficient thermal storage wall thermo photovoltaic (TPV) device thermophotovoltaic cell thermosiphon thermosiphon system thin film cell tilt angle of a solar collector total incident radiation total internal reflection tracking array trickle (solar) collector Trombe wall true south tube-in-plate absorber tube-type collector two-axis tracking two-tank solar system ultraviolet unglazed perforated plate collector unglazed solar collector visible light transmittance visible radiation water wall A PV concentrating module uses optical elements (Fresnel lenses) to increase the amount of sunlight incident onto a PV cell. Concentrating PV modules/arrays must track the sun and use only the direct sunlight because the diffuse portion can't be focused onto the PV cells. Concentrating collectors for home or small business solar water heating applications are usually parabolic troughs that concentrate the sun's energy on an absorber tube (called a receiver), which contains a heat-transfer fluid. Related category    • SOLAR ENERGY AND POWER Also on this site: Encyclopedia of Science Transport Concepts & Designs (partner site) BACK TO TOP