We started our solar collector temperature measurements on January 15th 2010 at a cold clear day with -20 C. On a test installation, we meassured 105 C at the boundary layer absorber inside our solar collector - the layer that is in contact with the water. All solar energy temperature measurements are made without circulating water. Explanation around the boundary layer absorption can be found when reading more about how our solar collectors work.

Now, why is the collector temperatures so crucial? When water enters your house, it has a temperature of about 5 degrees C in northern Europe and around 10 degrees C in southern Europe. When we circulate pure water through the collector, the water has a tremendous capacity in relation to absorb heat. The heat capacity of water is 4.2 kJ / (kg K), which means that water can hold 10 times more heat than steel and 5 times more heat than sand. Among liquids, only mercury has greater heat capacity than water. Since water has such a high heat capacity, it will thus be able to receive large amounts of heat when in contact with another warm surface and it is this fact that makes water the best liquid material in a solar collector. The temperatures in the collector is directly transferable to the efficiency of the collector. The higher the temperature rise, the better the efficiency and the more heat you will have from your solar thermal energy system. The temperature increase and the efficiency is directly related to the economy of your investment as well. So, the higher the temperature rise, the better efficiency and thus improved economics of your solar thermal energy system. Another important aspect of a large temperature increase is in the transition seasons, when temperatures are low, you will be able to produce solar energy. If the temperature of the solar collector is too low, it will not produce solar energy and you lose valuable energy when you need it most.

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