NOVELTY - Invention relates to solar power engineering and can be used, in particular, in devices transforming solar electromagnetic radiation to the thermal energy for heating a coolant. According to the first option, the collector contains a closed shell made of a single-or multi-transparent plastic material, consisting of a central cylindrical surface of radius R, paired with it at its utmost edges of two lateral cylindrical surfaces of radius r and plane. The plane is tangent to the side cylindrical surfaces. Two end caps are mounted at the ends of the shell and heat receiving device for heat transfer to the coolant. Heat receiving device is carried out in the form of absorber with channels for the circulation of liquid coolant with selective covering of the front side. From the rear side thermal insolation is placed. Absorber is formed by a cylindrical surface of radius R1 and the same axis as an axis of the cylindrical shell central surface. It consists of thin-wall modules, connected to each other. Two cylindrical shell lateral surfaces axis are remoted at a distance L. Central cylindrical surface is remoted at maximum distance from the plane by the value H with the following ratios: 8 greater than L / H greater than 3.5; 10 greater than R / H greater than 4.5; 4.2 greater than H / r greater than 3.8. Collector of the second option has following ratio: 3 greater than L/H greater than 2; 3.5 greater than R/H greater than 1.1; 9 greater than H/r greater than 5; 2 greater than r/ delta greater than 0.4. A solar collector of the third option has flat absorbers with the following ratios: 8 greater than L/H greater than 5; 18 greater than R/H greater than 6; 5 greater than H/r greater than 3; 2 greater than r/ delta greater than 0.4. A solar collector of the fourth option has heat receiving device for heat transfer which is made in the form of tank-battery with a selective coverage on the front side. On the rear side thermal isolation is placed with thickness delta . The tank-battery is formed by a cylindrical surface of radius R1 with the same axis as the central axis of cylindrical surface and the plane parallel to the plane of the shell. The collector of the fourth version has the following ratios: 3 greater than L/H greater than 2; 3.5 greater than R/H greater than 1.1; 9 greater than H/r greater than 5; 2 greater than r/ delta greater than 0.4. Method of solar collector shell manufacturing comprises the installation of leading cylinder of radius r on the surface of a sheet made of transparent single-or multi-polymer material along one of its edges. Polymer material temperature is increased along the body of the cylinder to the temperature of softening. The sheet is bent around the cylinder forming one side cylindrical surface of radius r. The leading cylinder is mounted on the surface of the sheet along its opposite edge at a distance L from the first cylinder unit and is symmetrically to it. Polymer material temperature is increased along the body of the cylinder to the temperature of softening. The sheet is bent around the cylinder forming another side cylindrical surface of radius r and a gap between the bent sheet edges. Both bent sheet edges are tightened and connected forming central cylindrical surface of radius R from the opposite side.    USE - Heating; engines and pumps.    ADVANTAGE - Provision of optimal configuration of the shell relating to particular absorber.19 cl, 12 dwg