Solar Collector Tube Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2021-2031F

Heat Pipe is the fastest growing sector, North America is the largest market

The Global Solar Collector Tube Market is projected to expand significantly, rising from USD 11.87 Billion in 2025 to USD 20.14 Billion by 2031, demonstrating a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 9.21%. These tubes are essential receiver components engineered to absorb solar radiation and convert it into thermal energy, forming the fundamental technology for both evacuated tube collectors and concentrated solar power systems. The market's growth is primarily fueled by the increasing worldwide need for decarbonized industrial heat and the strategic expansion of green district heating networks, which necessitate efficient, high-temperature thermal solutions distinct from electricity generation.

Despite the continuous deployment of solar thermal capacity, with the global industry installing 17.8 GW of new capacity in 2024 according to the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme, a significant obstacle to broader market growth is the declining cost of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels combined with the efficiency of electric heat pumps. This technological shift poses intense competitive pressure, often redirecting capital investments away from direct solar thermal collector infrastructure towards more versatile electrification pathways for heating.

Market Drivers

The escalating global demand for industrial process heat applications is a substantial driving force for the solar collector tube market, as industries increasingly seek reliable solutions for decarbonizing high-temperature operations. Unlike conventional photovoltaic systems, concentrated solar thermal installations leverage advanced vacuum receiver tubes to generate the critical industrial steam and process heat required across sectors such as mining, chemicals, and food processing. This specialized need for high-efficiency thermal output is underscored by recent deployment data, with 11 solar systems utilizing concentrating collectors for industrial process heat, contributing 120 MWth capacity, installed between January 2023 and March 2024, as reported by the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme in July 2024.

Simultaneously, the expansion of Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) and hybrid projects serves as another crucial market driver, particularly for parabolic trough and linear Fresnel technologies that depend heavily on receiver tubes. These utility-scale projects are increasingly valued for their capacity to provide dispatchable power through thermal energy storage, effectively stabilizing grids against the intermittent nature of other renewable sources. China is leading this intensive infrastructure development, establishing a substantial pipeline for receiver tube procurement, evidenced by 34 CSP projects with a total installed capacity of 3,300 MW actively under construction domestically as of February 2025, according to the China Solar Thermal Alliance. This global momentum is further highlighted by REN21, reporting that 350 MW of new CSP generation capacity was connected to the grid worldwide in 2024.

Market Challenges

The rapid decrease in the cost of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules, combined with the high efficiency of modern electric heat pumps, presents a significant economic hurdle for the solar collector tube market. This technological synergy offers a highly adaptable energy solution, enabling end-users to generate electricity for diverse applications, including heating, cooling, and general appliances, rather than committing to single-purpose thermal infrastructure. Consequently, residential and commercial capital is increasingly redirected towards comprehensive electrification strategies, finding the hydraulic complexity and limited utility of solar thermal installations less financially appealing in the current environment of low-cost PV.

This competitive displacement is clearly reflected in recent industry performance metrics. The German Solar Association (BSW-Solar) reported in March 2025 that the newly installed solar thermal capacity for 2024 was approximately 141 MW. This figure represents a continuing decline in what has traditionally been a robust market, illustrating how the preference for photovoltaic-driven heating solutions is directly eroding the market share of conventional collector tube technologies.

Market Trends

The emergence of Hybrid PV-Thermal (PVT) System Integration is fundamentally transforming the market by combining both electricity and thermal energy generation into a single collector unit, effectively addressing the competitive pressures from standalone photovoltaic panels. This trend enables end-users to maximize energy yield from limited roof space, providing a dual-output solution that competes more effectively with the electrification pathway than traditional thermal-only collectors. By simultaneously generating power and heat, these advanced systems are gaining traction in residential and commercial sectors where surface area is a premium constraint. The 'Solar Heat Worldwide 2025' report by the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme noted in June 2025 that the global industry installed 37.5 MW of new thermal capacity in hybrid PVT systems during 2024, marking a 13% increase in thermal output compared to the preceding year.

Simultaneously, the adoption of Centralized Solar District Heating Networks is accelerating as municipalities transition from fossil-fuel-based grids to renewable, utility-scale thermal arrays. This trend signifies a structural shift towards large-scale collector fields that consistently supply thermal energy to entire urban areas, broadening the market focus beyond individual building installations. These networks increasingly integrate seasonal storage capabilities to manage intermittency and decarbonize city-wide heating infrastructures. According to Solarthermalworld.org in June 2025, ten new large-scale solar district heating systems with a combined capacity of 74 MW were commissioned globally in 2024, as detailed in the article 'Solar heat faces setbacks in buildings but industrial use and district heating expand'.

Key Market Players

• Schott AG
• Apex Solar
• Sinosun Solar Energy Co., Ltd.
• Neo Solar Power Corp.
• SOLIMPEKS Solar Energy Corp.
• Hubei SunWonder New Energy Technology Co., Ltd.
• Jiangsu Sunrain Solar Energy Co., Ltd.
• SolarWinds Corporation US
• Alternate Energy Technologies
• Sunmaxx PVT GmbH

Report Scope

In this report, the Global Solar Collector Tube Market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

Solar Collector Tube Market, by Type:

• U-shaped
• Heat Pipe
• Evacuated Tubes
• Flat Plate
• Air Collectors
• Others

Solar Collector Tube Market, by End-User:

• Residential
• Commercial
• Industrial
• Others

Solar Collector Tube Market, by System Type:

• Thermosiphon
• Pumped
• Passive
• Tracking
• ICS
• Evacuated Tube Collectors

Solar Collector Tube Market, by Region:

• North America
• Europe
• Asia Pacific
• South America
• Middle East & Africa

Competitive Landscape

Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in the Global Solar Collector Tube Market.

Available Customizations:

With the given market data, the publisher offers customizations according to a company's specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:

Company Information

• Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five).

This product will be delivered within 1-3 business days.