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Total Energy

Annual Energy Review

September 2012  PDF | previous editions
Release Date: September 27, 2012

Table 10.6 Solar Thermal Collector Shipments by Type, Price, and Trade, 1974-2009 (Thousand Square Feet, Except as Noted)
Table 10.6  Solar Thermal Collector Shipments by Type, Price, and Trade, 1974-2009
                       (Thousand Square Feet, Except as Noted)





Year
Low-Temperature Collectors 1 Medium-Temperature Collectors 2 High-Temperature Collectors 3 Total Shipments Trade
Number
of U.S.
Manu-
facturers


Quantity
Shipped
Shipments
per
Manu-
facturer

Price 4
(dollars 5 per
square foot)
Number
of U.S.
Manu-
facturers


Quantity
Shipped
Shipments
per
Manu-
facturer

Price 4
(dollars 5 per
square foot)


Quantity
Shipped

Price 4
(dollars 5 per
square foot)


Quantity
Shipped

Price 4
(dollars 5 per
square foot)



Imports



Exports
1974 6 1,137 190 NA 39 137 4 NA NA NA 1,274 NA NA NA
1975 13 3,026 233 NA 118 717 6 NA NA NA 3,743 NA NA NA
1976 19 3,876 204 NA 203 1,925 10 NA NA NA 5,801 NA NA NA
1977 52 4,743 91 NA 297 5,569 19 NA NA NA 10,312 NA NA NA
1978 69 5,872 85 NA 204 4,988 25 NA NA NA 10,860 NA 396 840
1979 84 8,394 100 NA 257 5,856 23 NA NA NA 14,251 NA 290 855
1980 79 12,233 155 NA 250 7,165 29 NA NA NA 19,398 NA 235 1,115
1981 75 8,677 116 NA 263 11,456 44 NA NA NA 21,133 NA 196 771
1982 61 7,476 123 NA 248 11,145 45 NA NA NA 18,621 NA 418 455
1983 55 4,853 88 NA 179 11,975 67 NA NA NA 16,828 NA 511 159
1984 48 4,479 93 NA 206 11,939 58 NA 773 NA 17,191 NA 621 348
19856 NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
1986 22 3,751 171 2.30 87 1,111 13 18.30 4,498 NA 9,360 6.14 473 224
1987 12 3,157 263 2.18 50 957 19 13.50 3,155 NA 7,269 4.82 691 182
1988 8 3,326 416 2.24 45 732 16 14.88 4,116 NA 8,174 4.56 814 158
1989 10 4,283 428 2.60 36 1,989 55 11.74 5,209 17.76 11,482 10.92 1,233 461
1990 12 3,645 304 2.90 41 2,527 62 7.68 5,237 15.74 11,409 9.86 1,562 245
1991 16 5,585 349 2.90 41 989 24 11.94 1 31.94 6,574 4.26 1,543 332
1992 16 6,187 387 2.50 34 897 26 10.96 2 75.66 7,086 3.58 1,650 316
1993 13 6,025 464 2.80 33 931 28 11.74 12 22.12 6,968 3.96 2,039 411
1994 16 6,823 426 2.54 31 803 26 13.54 2 177.00 7,627 3.74 1,815 405
1995 14 6,813 487 2.32 26 840 32 10.48 13 53.26 7,666 3.30 2,037 530
1996 14 6,821 487 2.67 19 785 41 14.48 10 18.75 7,616 3.91 1,930 454
1997 13 7,524 579 2.60 21 606 29 15.17 7 25.00 8,138 3.56 2,102 379
1998 12 7,292 607 2.83 19 443 23 15.17 21 53.21 7,756 3.66 2,206 360
1999 13 8,152 627 2.08 20 427 21 19.12 4 286.49 8,583 3.05 2,352 537
2000 11 7,948 723 2.09 16 400 25 W 5 W 8,354 3.28 2,201 496
2001 10 10,919 1,092 2.15 17 268 16 W 2 W 11,189 2.90 3,502 840
2002 13 11,126 856 1.97 17 535 31 W 2 W 11,663 2.85 3,068 659
2003 12 10,877 906 2.08 17 560 33 W 7 W 11,444 3.19 2,986 518
2004 9 13,608 1,512 1.80 17 506 30 19.30 – – 14,114 2.43 3,723 813
2005 10 15,224 1,522 2.00 17 702 41 W 115 W 16,041 2.86 4,546 1,361
2006 11 15,546 1,413 1.95 35 1,346 38 W 3,852 W 20,744 5.84 4,244 1,211
2007 13 13,323 1,025 1.97 51 1,797 35 W 33 W 15,153 3.95 3,891 1,376
2008 11 14,015 1,274 1.89 62 2,560 41 19.57 388 11.96 16,963 4.80 5,517 2,247
2009 13 10,511 809 1.94 73 2,307 32 27.32 980 25.32 13,798 7.01 3,456 1,577
1Low-temperature collectors are solar thermal collectors that generally operate at temperatures below
110° F.
6No data are available for 1985.
2Medium-temperature collectors are solar thermal collectors that generally operate in the temperature
range of 140° F to 180° F but can also operate at temperatures as low as 110° F.  Special collectors are
included in this category.  Special collectors are evacuated tube collectors or concentrating (focusing)
collectors.  They operate in the temperature range from just above ambient temperature (low concentration
for pool heating) to several hundred degrees Fahrenheit (high concentration for air conditioning and
specialized industrial processes).
NA=Not available.   – =No data reported.  – – =Not applicable.  W=Value withheld to avoid disclosure of
proprietary company data.  
3High-temperature collectors are solar thermal collectors that generally operate at temperatures above
180° F.  High-temperature collector shipments are dominated by one manufacturer, and the collectors are
used by the electric power sector to build new central station solar thermal power plants and generate
electricity.  Year-to-year fluctations depend on how much new capacity is brought online.
Notes:  ·  Data for this table are not available for 2010.  ·  Shipments data are for domestic and export
shipments, and may include imports that subsequently were shipped to domestic or foreign customers.
·  Manufacturers producing more than one type of collector are accounted for in both groups.
4Prices equal shipment value divided by quantity shipped.  Value includes charges for advertising and
warranties.  Excluded are excise taxes and the cost of freight or transportation for the shipments.
Web Page:  For related information, see http://www.eia.gov/renewable/.
5Prices are not adjusted for inflation.  See "Nominal Dollars" in Glossary. Sources:  ·  1974-1992—U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Solar Collector Manufacturing
Activity, annual reports, and Form CE-63A, "Annual Solar Thermal Collector Manufacturers Survey," and
predecessor forms.  ·  1993-2002—EIA, Renewable Energy Annual, annual reports, and Form EIA-63A,
"Annual Solar Thermal Collector Manufacturers Survey," and predecessor form.  ·  2003 forward—EIA,
Solar Thermal Collector Manufacturing Activities (and predecessor reports), annual reports, and Form
EIA-63A, "Annual Solar Thermal Collector Manufacturers Survey."
U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)