Solar Medium Temperature System

Medium temperature solar thermal energy is a renewable energy source that converts solar energy into thermal energy, used in applications requiring temperatures between 100 and 400 degrees Celsius. In general, medium temperature solar thermal energy systems use collectors different from those used in low temperature systems, typically being more complex and efficient.

Medium temperature solar thermal energy harvesting systems are used for industrial applications. They are different from low temperature systems, which provide domestic hot water, and high temperature systems, which produce steam and generate electrical energy. Medium temperature systems are the focus of this passage, with two types being described:

A medium temperature solar concentrating system is a solar thermal application that operates within a temperature range of 80–250°C. These systems have gained significant interest in recent years for both residential and industrial sectors, utilizing their sunlight focusing characteristic and high thermal and optical performance.

Medium temperature (100–300 °C) solar thermal collectors can, in principle, displace a significant fraction of fossil fuel inputs in these medium temperature applications, including: industrial process heating, building environmental control and other commercial applications, , , .

The two types of medium temperature solar thermal energy collectors are: Vacuum tube solar collectors. Vacuum tube solar collectors are a set of linear tubes through which a heat transfer fluid circulates in the center.

Solar thermal energy is a renewable energy source that converts solar energy into thermal energy. In low temperature systems, flat collectors are typically used. However, for temperatures above 80 degrees Celsius, flat collectors practically no longer have any performance and other solar concentration systems must be used instead.