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A Solar thermal system will definitely out perform using solar panels to produce heat. A typical commercial solar panel is only 23% efficient whereas solar heat
by PaulKeeble 3y ago
A Solar thermal system will definitely out perform using solar panels to produce heat. A typical commercial solar panel is only 23% efficient whereas solar heaters are above 95%. With 4x the energy for the same area and a lot less sophisticated technology there is little doubt heating the water directly is better. But like with all desalination its a relatively slow process that leaks a bunch of material behind that damages everything and the costs will be dominated by all those other aspects not just where it gets its energy from.
- jjk166 3y agoYou get 4 times the energy per unit area, but if it costs more than 4 times more per unit area, the photovoltaics win. The cost per square meter of solar panels is currently around $40. Is a square meter sized solar thermal desalinator currently less than $160? In 10 years when photovoltaics are $15 per square meter, will the solar thermal desalinator be less than $60?