Comparison Atmosfera SPK F4M vs Vaillant auroTHERM pro VFK 125/3

The method of installation of the collector.

It is worth noting that all solar collectors are designed for installation at an angle to the horizon. It is due to this that it is possible to achieve the angle of the sun's rays will be as close as possible to the perpendicular — and the efficiency of the device will be close to maximum. Therefore, both horizontal and inclined models are essentially installed in the same position — inclined; the difference between these options is that what serves as a support for the collector. See the relevant paragraphs for details.

— Inclined. Collectors are designed for installation on a special frame. Thanks to this frame, the absorbing surface is located at the right angle to the horizon, while the frame itself is designed for installation on a flat horizontal surface. If you plan to place the collector on such a surface — for example, on a flat roof or the ground next to the house — it is worth paying attention to inclined models.

— Horizontal. Horizontal devices are devices that are not equipped with stands and, in general, are not designed to use stands. Such collectors are laid directly on the roof surface, while the required angle of inclination is ensured solely by the slope of the surface. Accordingly, the main scope of horizontal models are houses with sloping roofs, where it is impossible to install an inclined collector. The di...sadvantage of this option is that the angle of the device directly depends on the angle of the roof.

— Universal. Collectors that can be installed both horizontally and inclined way. For more information about these options, see the corresponding paragraphs, and their combination in one model allows the user to choose the best option, depending on the situation. However, such versatility is not cheap, and it is rarely required — a solar collector is usually purchased based on a strictly defined installation site, and with the choice of a specialized option (inclined or horizontal), usually, there are no problems. As a result, such models are extremely rare. Also, note that the frame may not be included and will need to be purchased separately.

The material from which the absorber is made. It is a layer that absorbs solar energy. It is the main part of the collector; the general specs of the device largely depend on its design.

In most modern models, regardless of type, the absorber is made of copper with a special coating. This metal has a high thermal conductivity and effectively transfers heat to the heating medium. And the coating is used to improve the absorption of sunlight, reduce its reflection and, accordingly, achieve good efficiency indicators.

Another option found in solar collectors is aluminium. It is somewhat cheaper than copper and weighs less, but it is inferior to copper in terms of thermal conductivity and performance.

The total area of the absorbing surface of the collector. For kits with multiple collectors (see "Number of collectors"), the area for one device is indicated.

Note that the meaning of this parameter depends on the type of collector (see the relevant paragraph). In flat devices, we are talking about the working area — the size of the surface that is exposed to sunlight. In tubular models (vacuum, thermosiphon), where tubes play the role of an absorber, the total surface area of the tubes is taken into account — including that which is “in the shade” during operation and is not heated by the sun. Special reflectors can be used to overcome this problem.

All of the above means that only collectors of the same type and similar design can be compared with each other in terms of absorber area. If we talk about such a comparison, then a large area, on the one hand, provides greater efficiency and heating speed, and, on the other hand, it accordingly affects the dimensions of the device and the amount of space required for its installation. Thus, the total area of a flat collector approximately corresponds to the area of the working surface; it is slightly larger, but this difference is small. But in tubular models, there is a paradox when the total area is less than the absorber area.

The total area of the collector. If there are several collectors in the kit, this indicator is given for one device.

The total area determines, first of all, the dimensions of the collector and the amount of space required for its installation. In this case, if we are talking about horizontal placement (see "Mounting"), then the total area of the collector will correspond to the area of the space that it will occupy after installation. But with inclined installation, the base of the entire structure occupies a slightly smaller area — this is due to the specifics of the installation.

It is worth talking about the total area and aperture area. The practical specs of a solar collector are determined primarily by its aperture area, for more details on it, see the relevant paragraph. At the same time, in flat models (see “Type”), the aperture area will inevitably be less than the total. But in tubular models, it can be the other way around — in some cases, the aperture surface area of all tubes may exceed the total area of the device itself. There is nothing strange in this, such a phenomenon is associated with the geometric features of the design.

The maximum pressure of the heating medium for which the collector is designed. This parameter is indicated only for closed models (see "Loop system") — by definition, open models operate at atmospheric pressure.

The maximum pressure allowed for the collector must not be lower than the operating pressure in the heating system (DHW, heating, etc.) to which it is planned to be connected. And ideally, you should choose a device with a pressure margin of at least 15 – 20% — this will give an additional guarantee in case of various failures and malfunctions.

Collector efficiency.

Initially, the term "efficiency" refers to a characteristic that describes the overall efficiency of the device — in other words, this coefficient indicates how much of the energy supplied to the device (in this case, solar) goes to useful work (in this case, heating the medium). However, in the case of solar collectors, the actual efficiency depends not only on the properties of the device itself but also on environmental conditions and some features of operation. Therefore, the specs usually indicate the maximum value of this parameter — the so-called optical efficiency, or "efficiency at zero heat loss." It is denoted by the symbol η₀ and depends solely on the properties of the device itself — namely, the absorption coefficient α, the glass transparency coefficient t and the efficiency of heat transfer from the absorber to the coolant Fr. In turn, the real efficiency (η) is calculated for each specific situation using a special formula that takes into account the temperature difference inside and outside the collector, the density of solar radiation entering the device, as well as special heat loss coefficients k1 and k2. Anyway, this indicator will be lower than the maximum — at least because the temperatures inside and outside the device will inevitably be different (and the higher this difference, the higher the heat loss).

Nevertheless, it is most convenient to evaluate the specs of a solar collector and compare it with oth...er models precisely by the maximum efficiency: under the same practical conditions (and with the same values of the coefficients k1 and k2), a device with a higher efficiency will be more efficient than a device with a lower one. .

In general, higher efficiency values allow to achieve the corresponding efficiency, while the collector area can be relatively small (which, accordingly, also has a positive effect on dimensions and price). This parameter is especially important if the device is planned to be used in the cold season, in an area with a relatively small amount of sunlight, or if there is not much space for the collector and it is impossible to use a large-area device. On the other hand, to increase efficiency, specific design solutions are required — and they just complicate and increase the cost of the design. Therefore, when choosing according to this indicator, it is worth considering the features of the use of the collector. For example, if the device is bought for a summer residence in the southern region, where it is planned to visit only in summer, relatively little water is required and there are no problems with sunny weather — you can not pay much attention to efficiency.

The absorption coefficient of the absorber used in the collector design.

This parameter directly affects the overall efficiency of the absorbing coating and the efficiency of the device as a whole. The absorption coefficient describes how much of the solar energy reaching the absorber is absorbed by it and transferred to the heat carrier. Ideally, this parameter should reach 100%. However, it is extremely difficult and unreasonably expensive to achieve this. Therefore, the absorption coefficient is usually somewhat lower — about 95%; this is more than enough for the efficient operation of the collector. The rest of the energy is reflected as radiation; for more details, see “Absorber emissivity coef ε". Also note here that in the design of tubular collectors, tubes with a special inner coating are often used, which returns the reflected rays to the absorber and increases the actual absorption coefficient.

The absorption coefficient of the absorber used in the collector design.

This parameter directly affects the overall efficiency of the absorbing coating and the efficiency of the device as a whole. The absorption coefficient describes how much of the solar energy reaching the absorber is absorbed by it and transferred to the heat carrier. Ideally, this parameter should reach 100%. However, it is extremely difficult and unreasonably expensive to achieve this. Therefore, the absorption coefficient is usually somewhat lower — about 95%; this is more than enough for the efficient operation of the collector. The rest of the energy is reflected as radiation; for more details, see “Absorber emissivity coef ε". Also note here that in the design of tubular collectors, tubes with a special inner coating are often used, which returns the reflected rays to the absorber and increases the actual absorption coefficient.

The stagnation temperature is the maximum heating medium temperature reached in the stagnation mode.

The term "stagnation" in this case means stagnation of the heating medium in the collector, due to which the thermal solar energy supplied to the device is not removed from it. Such a situation can arise when the heat or hot water supply is stopped when the circulation pump is turned off when the circuit is aired or clogged, etc. In this case, the heat carrier temperature can rise significantly up to 200 °C or more. Note that this mode, although unfavourable, is not an emergency — serious problems in the system can occur only with multiple stagnations for a short time.

The stagnation temperature is generally a reference parameter, it does not affect the basic performance and is not the main selection criterion. However, it is generally believed that higher readings are indicative of a higher level and advanced collector design. This is partly justified: a high-temperature model must be efficient enough to absorb a large amount of energy and reliable enough to withstand contact with a heated heat carrier.