Flat-plate collector | technology | Britannica (original) (raw)

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solar energy

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  In solar energy: Thermal energy
  …it to thermal energy are flat-plate collectors, which are used for solar heating applications. Because the intensity of solar radiation at Earth’s surface is so low, these collectors must be large in area. Even in sunny parts of the world’s temperate regions, for instance, a collector must have a surface…
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solar heating

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  In solar heating
  …are in contact with a flat-plate collector. The latter is a blackened metal plate that absorbs sunlight and is insulated on the front with layers of glass and air; the glass allows visible light to fall on the plate but traps the resulting heat, which is then transferred to the…
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