I am doing some research for my employer. He wants to know what is the best solar panels for water heating in the Cape Town climate. The flat ones or the tubular ones (my apologies I do not know their correct names  )?

 

He wants to hear from people who have installed them and not necessiraly from the suppliers who sell them.

 

Can anyone help with links to forums where this would have been a discussion amongst consumers as I cannot seem to find anything.

 

Thanks

Welcome

The best one IMHO is the vacuum tubes.

I would mount them at 45 to 50 degrees to get the most out of winter sun and limit the temp somewhat during summer.

 

The newer flat panels is slowly getting better, but their only advantage above the vacuum tube is cost.

 

There is a new way of doing solar heating now by using electrical solar panles connected to a normal geyser element.

I think it could be a waste of power when the water is on temp.

 

Hope it helps.

It helps but I really need to understand what makes the IMHO vacuum tubes better than the flat ones. Is it just cost? He definitely won't want it connected to anything electrical. He wants full solar and I assume you have a way of angling them as the roof it is going is flat

Ok, the flat plate is just some copper pipes stuck to a black sun absorbing background. The suns heat on the black heats the water in the pipes.

The vacuum tube also works when overcast, so it is way more effcient at converting the suns energy into heat.

 

There is no way in hell he will be able to run a cost effective solar only water system in CPT with our winters.

Thanks Wetkit. I will show him what you said. There is no rush at the moment however as the house is not near completion. I am just investigating at this point as he doesn't want to end up getting the wrong system.