# Solar heat collectors: Overview

Sunlight turned into hot water, warm rooms and dry crops

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_solar_heat/overview/

What this tile covers Collectors that turn sunlight into useful heat for water, buildings, drying, cooking and industry. Share of use 0.3% share of world energy supply (2024)

Share of world total energy supply captured or extracted by each method, 2024 (latest year where noted). Denominator is the Energy Institute Statistical Review 2025 total of 592.2 EJ (physical energy content method); electricity from wind, solar, hydro and geothermal is counted at output, nuclear at reactor heat. Heat and biomass flows outside EI's total are set against the same 592.2 EJ. Solar thermal collectors delivered 443 TWh (1.59 EJ) against 592.2 EJ (calculated). This heat is outside EI's total. Source: [Press article: Solar Heat Worldwide, Edition 2025](https://52.iea-shc.org/Data/Sites/1/publications/Press-Article-SHWW-Edition-2025.pdf), IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme.

#### Key facts

| **Output** | Heat |
|---|---|

#### Included from the reference tables

- Flat-plate and evacuated-tube collectors
- Solar air heaters, cookers, dryers, stills and ponds
- Industrial process heat from concentrators
- Solar salt pans

#### Also in Solar
[PV Solar photovoltaics](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_pv/)[CSP Concentrated solar power](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_csp/)[Pas Passive solar and natural cooling](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_passive/)[SF Solar fuels and photosynthesis](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_solar_fuels/)

Explore paths from here
 More on this tile in the tabs above: efficiency, techniques, resources and labour, impact on the biosphere.

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_solar_heat/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_solar_heat/correlation/index.md)
- [Efficiency](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_solar_heat/efficiency/index.md)
- [Techniques](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_solar_heat/techniques/index.md)
- [Resources and labour](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_solar_heat/resources/index.md)
- [Impact on the biosphere](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_solar_heat/biosphere/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_solar_heat/links/index.md)