Research Article

The Application Study in Solar Energy Technology for Highway Service Area: A Case Study of West Lushan Highway Low-Carbon Service Area in China

Table 3

The comparison of flat plate collector and evacuated tubular collector for highway service area.

FeaturesFlat plate solar collectorEvacuated tubular solar collector

System efficiencyAbout 50% (summer)
About 20% (winter)
About 50% (summer)
About 40% (winter)
Useful life period5 years15 years
Operation temperature Above 0°CAbove −40°C
Manufacturing costLowLow
Key component efficiencyFast heat absorption and fast heat releaseFast heat absorption and slow heat release
Efficiency in wet or rainy dayLowHigh