Questions & Answers

Paper or Plastic?

In this case copper or plastic?

Not much has changed in the copper solar panel industry in the last forty years. Some new selective surface coatings like black chrome or blue nickel bottom have been developed to help improve panel performance, but nothing really significant. Copper panels did not need much improvement to begin with as they were already close to 80% efficient. The copper panel has a proven track record for reliability at the same time it has inherent problems too. The four biggest drawbacks to copper panels are; corrosion, scaling, expense, weight. The Freeman A Ford company Fafco has an answer; Sungrabber solar water heating system. Facfo America’s oldest and largest polyolefin panel manufacturer has been using “plastics technology’ since the 1960s to make swimming pool panels. These panels are slim and light weight and perform closely to copper in the domestic water heating temperature range. The Fafco Sungrabber panels do not corrode or produce scale and with an efficient drain back system it addresses many other concerns with solar hot water systems. Drain back systems are freeze protected because when the temperatures drop the water in panels drain safely to a small storage tank and the panels fill with air. Fafco Sungrabber panels do not reach the extreme temperatures that cause scaling , stagnation and expansion stress. Energy Master a Phoenix solar hot water installer has installed many Sungrabber systems in the Phoenix metro area and around Maricopa county Arizona. There are over a thousand of these systems producing free hot water from the Arizona sunshine. For more information you can visit www.nrgmaster.com of www.fafco.com