New SPP-30a First Ever Evacuated Tube Collector Manufactured in the United States, Provides Compliance with Buy American Act Solar Power International 2009 ANAHEIM, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Solar Panels Plus (SPP), designer and manufacturer of innovative solar water heaters, solar air conditioning/heating systems and photovoltaic solar panels, today launched the SPP-30a, the first USA-made evacuated tube (ET) collector for solar water heaters. The SPP-30a is an important addition to the SPP product family, enabling distributors, dealers and contractors to offer a high-quality ET solution that complies with the “Buy American Act” section of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). In addition to being the top-rated ET collector, the SPP-30a has many advantages over traditional flat plate collectors. Because the absorber is completely enclosed, evacuated tubes function in almost any environment, including cold or freezing climates. The SPP-30a is also a more powerful and efficient solar water heater, meaning it works well in environments where water temperatures up to or above 200ºF are needed or in cloudy climate conditions. Like its predecessor the SPP-30, the US-made SPP-30a will utilize a double-wall glass tube that works similarly to a Thermos bottle—where the inside can be very hot but the exterior of the container is cool to the touch—as a Thermos also uses an evacuated space between the inner and outer wall. The main difference in performance between evacuated tube and flat panel collectors is that by preventing heat from escaping back into the atmosphere as the absorber gets hot, the evacuated area of the ET collector forms a thermal barrier that allows sunlight to enter but blocks the escape of heat, which is therefore more concentrated and more efficiently harvested and used.
