A solar collector including a plurality of hollow tubes, each tube directly joined, or indirectly joined by a web, to an adjacent tube; a first manifold connected to a first end of each tube; a second manifold connected to a second end of each tube; where at least two adjacent tubes are separated along a portion of their length so as to form a first section in which adjacent tubes are separated from one another and a second segment in which adjacent tubes are joined to one another. Also disclosed is a method for preventing damage to a tube mat solar collector which includes maintaining the hollow tubes of a solar collector in a substantially coplanar relationship in the absence of high wind conditions; permitting individual tubes to move about their longitudinal axis in response to high wind conditions; and returning the tubes to their longitudinal axis as the high wind conditions subside, the high wind conditions being wind of at least 15 miles per hour.