[Greenbuilding] flat plat collectors

[Clarke Olsen]

Does anyone have experience with, an opinion or knowledge of transparent exposed water collectors?
That is, a flat plate solar water heater where, instead of running the water under a copper field absorber,
the water runs between a glass face, and an absorbing surface. In such a device, the sun's heat would not
have to flow through a copper sheet to be drawn-off with water, but would be taken from the very surface
that absorbs it. A further development could be a dense black mesh in the cooling water, throughly scrubbed
of it's heat. A glass plate exposed to 60+psi would not be pretty, but under low (drain-back) pressure...
Clarke Olsen
373 route 203
Spencertown, NY 12165 
USA
518-392-4640
colsen at fairpoint.net