COMPARISON CHART OF ETC Vs FPC

Features Sun Tracking Conventional Flat Plate Solar Water Heaters ETC Based Solar water Heaters No sun tracking possible due to flat surface collector. Circular glass tubes allow auto sun tracking & ensures Maximum heat absorption only at 12 noon. maximum heat absorption throughout the day. (Only in case of vertically mounted tubes.) Effect of external Design dependent on ambient temperature results in Design independent of ambient temperature, ideal even weather & ambient low efficiency during cold weather. during winters. Temperature Effect of hard water System efficiency drops drastically as hot water Non-metallic glass tubes of much larger diameter, (37 mm), causes scale & chokes the narrow metallic absorber prevent choking & ensures maximum efficiency & life of the pipes (12 mm). Leaks could also develop. Frequent system without frequent cleaning & maintenances. Glass expensive cleaning essential. Tank Cleaning manually tubes & tanks can be cleaned manually. impossible due to completely sealed design. Start-up & heating Delayed heating process from cold to hot. Takes more Low start up time from cold to hot in just 2, 3 hours. time than 5 hours. Connections Uses interconnection pipes that results in heat loss & Integrated design eliminates interconnecting pipes between collector & reduces system life. completely. storage tank No. of collectors for 9 or 10 fins 15 evacuated glass tubes. 100 LPD system Storage tank Generally, the tank is arc welded SS with powder Both the inner tank & cladding are of SS, inner tank is TIG coated aluminium cladding welded. Storage tank Generally glass wool / Rock wool. Susceptible to Highly efficient PUF insulation for overnight retention of insulation getting soaked during rains, thus requiring frequent heat. PUF does not absorb water & has absolutely no drying or in worst case, replacement. deterioration. Extremely long lasting in domestic systems. Installation space Base length of 10 feet. Can be mounted only on roof. Due to higher efficiency, the overall size of the system is requirement (for 100 Cannot be used for multi-storied apartments due to much smaller with base height of only 6 feet. Balcony type LPD) heat loss from lengthy pipes from roofs. cantilever mounting possible. Ideal for multi-storeyed apartments. Relative position of Cold-water tank must be mounted at height of about 7 Cold water tank could be mounted at a height of only 5 feet cold water tank to 8 feet from the base of the system. from the base of the system.

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