26 SEP 2023 Open data sets have great importance when analysing and optimising operation strategies for solar district heating plants A complete annual data set of monitoring results for a solar district heating plant is an important prerequisite for meaningful simulations of such systems... read more
12 SEP 2023 Tests of solar water heaters in China aim at improving standards More than a third of the newly installed collector area in 2021 globally was thermosiphon systems. They dominate sales in many Asian and Latin American... read more
24 AUG 2023 Carbon footprint assessment of various types of solar water heaters The Johannes Kepler University Linz (JKU) wants to support the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme with life cycle analysis of solar water heaters. read more
09 AUG 2023 Solar thermal achieves highest level of "real" climate neutrality The term “climate neutral” is omnipresent today. But there is no generally accepted official definition of climate neutrality. Instead there are three... read more
04 AUG 2023 Deep insights into solar market development on the global, national and sector-specific levels Solar Heat Worldwide 2023 reports mixed growth for solar thermal. While solar thermal markets grew, particularly in Europe, the global market was overshadowed... read more
31 JUL 2023 First IEA SHC Task 71 Workshop "How to determine ecological and economical heating and cooling solutions for a sustainable future" Register now for the first Task 71 Workshop with the topic: How to determine ecological and economical heating and cooling solutions for a sustainable... read more
26 JUL 2023 New Publications Online You won’t want to miss the new reports highlighted below. You can read them online or download them for free. Our complete library of publications – online... read more
26 JUL 2023 New LCA and LCoH Task Welcomes Participants & Collaboration As announced in the Solar Update Newsletter, Issue 76 (December 2022), IEA SHC Task 71 on Life Cycle and Cost Assessment for Heating and Cooling Technologies... read more
26 JUL 2023 New Conversion Factor for Concentrating Collector Statistics A factor of 0.7 kWth per square meter of aperture collector area for the conversion of area to power for statistics on concentrating collectors is an essential... read more
26 JUL 2023 Solar Cooling for Emerging Economies Our solar cooling work will continue! In June, the Executive Committee approved the development phase for a new Task on Solar Cooling for Emerging Economies. read more
26 JUL 2023 New Task Under Development: Using Radiation to Produce Hydrogen and Other Fuels The demand for “green” energy sources is on the rise! And as countries strive to decarbonize, hydrogen is emerging as an essential commodity. read more
26 JUL 2023 Task 62 Interview with Christoph Brunner The SHC Programme finalized its work on Solar Energy in Industrial Water and Wastewater Management (SHC Task 62) at the end of 2022. To learn first-hand... read more
26 JUL 2023 Solar Energy’s Potential for Water and Wastewater Treatment Within the industry’s transition to a circular economy, sustainable wastewater treatment and recovery should be reached without excessive strain on limited... read more
26 JUL 2023 Montmélian is Still as Sunny as Ever After a Decade The advantage of public action is that it allows projects to be implemented over the long term. This is precisely what the town of Montmélian (Ville de... read more
26 JUL 2023 European Solar Research Infrastructure for Concentrated Solar Power Begins Operation EU-SOLARIS ERIC, the European Solar Research Infrastructure for Concentrated Solar Power, held its constitutive meeting and first General Assembly on January... read more
26 JUL 2023 China’s Solar Thermal Market Shifting from Individual Installations to Large-scale Projects In 2021, the cumulative operation capacity of solar thermal systems in China reached 481.94 million square meters, accounting for 72.8% of the world’s... read more
26 JUL 2023 Lucio Mesquita of Canada Elected New SHC Executive Committee Chair Lucio Mesquita of Natural Resources Canada is a familiar face to many of us and a longtime Task participant starting with Task 25 on Solar-Assisted Air... read more
26 JUL 2023 Solar Heat Worldwide – 2023 Edition Now Online Our flagship report, Solar Heat Worldwide 2023 is the most comprehensive evaluation of solar heating and cooling markets with data from 71 countries. read more
25 JUL 2023 “Solar thermal is uniquely positioned to support low-carbon economies” Dr Lucio Mesquita from Natural Resources Canada will chair the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme (IEA SHC) for the next two years. He was elected... read more
20 JUL 2023 Cost reduction potential through prefabricated and standardized balance of plants Standardized, modular interfaces for the integration of solar heat into factories can reduce solar heat system costs significantly. read more
27 JUN 2023 Solar District Heating Info Package for Cities and Towns Among the 6,000 cities and towns in Europe with district heating, 266 already feed solar heat into their grid. For municipalities that plan to expand and... read more
09 JUN 2023 Innovations in the front-running solar district heating country Denmark The Danish solar district heating sector is a role model for the world. Researchers from IEA SHC Task 68 Efficient Solar District Heating met in the Danish... read more
07 JUN 2023 Spotlight on the South African solar thermal market Over the last decade the South African market has stagnated at around 140,000 m2 of newly installed collector area annually. read more
06 MAY 2023 Certification and labelling of new collector types GSCN and the Solergy label are continuing to grow together. More than a year ago, the Global Solar Certification Network and the Solar Heating Initiative,... read more
04 MAY 2023 IEA SHC recommends conversion factor 0.7 kWth/m2 for statistics on concentrating collectors The IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme (IEA SHC) recommends the factor of 0.7 kWth per square metre of aperture collector area for the conversion... read more
06 APR 2023 International seminar on solar and daylight planning in urban environments Within the framework of IEA SHC Task 63 Solar Neighborhood Planning, NTNU and Multiconsult, Norway, arranged an international seminar on solar and daylight... read more
24 MAR 2023 Paving the way for solar access in Sweden and Norway How can urban planners secure the right to light and the right to solar access when densifying urban areas? read more
06 MAR 2023 SDH info package to be presented during webinar in March Decarbonising the around 6,000 district heating networks in Europe is a challenging task in the next decade. read more
06 MAR 2023 Solar Academy Webinar in March offers insights into certification and labelling Do not miss out the 1st IEA SHC Solar Academy webinar 2023 about the Global Solar Certification Network and Solergy. read more
01 MAR 2023 Low-carbon and high-comfort integrated lighting Anyone interested in research in the field of efficient lighting in buildings will definitely come across Jan de Boer. He chairs the Lighting Technology... read more
01 MAR 2023 The Solar Decathlon Europe Report is now Available We published this week the SDE 21/22 competition source book (open access, online) with all results, project descriptions and a cross analysis Solar... read more
27 FEB 2023 Business and financing models – a clear distinction Non-technical barriers often play a critical role when it comes to increasing the number of solar cooling systems in the sunbelt countries. Business and... read more
06 FEB 2023 IEA SHC investigates cost reduction potential of solar district heating Transparency about costs makes claims more credible and helps energy modellers. For these reasons the IEA SHC Task 68 on Efficient Solar District Heating... read more
28 JAN 2023 Stability testing is needed to investigate the market readiness of compact thermal energy storage materials Stability is a key issue when evaluating new phase-change materials (PCMs) or thermochemical materials (TCMs) for thermal energy storage. A loss of stability... read more
17 JAN 2023 Analysing 126 solar energy buildings across Europe The revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings directive tightens the energy standards for buildings across the European Union. read more
17 JAN 2023 How planners use tools to assess solar potential in neighborhoods Digital tools play an increasingly important role in urban planning. Researchers from the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme have cooperated on solar... read more
05 JAN 2023 Solar Thermal Trends 2023 As 2022 comes to an end and 2023 begins, our team of SHC Task Managers wants to share trends they see coming in their fields of expertise.... read more
05 JAN 2023 Task 68: Fault-Detective – Fault Detection Based on Artificial Intelligence Good monitoring is essential to ensure the performance of solar thermal systems. Only then can solar al systems live up to their full... read more
05 JAN 2023 Task 65: Future Potential of Solar Cooling The energy demand for air-conditioning is growing faster than any other energy consumption in buildings.The main share of the projected growth for space... read more
05 JAN 2023 Solar Thermal Partners Heat Changers and the IEA SHC Programme understand the significance of Solar Heat in the push to reach a carbon-neutral world. With our new partnership,... read more
05 JAN 2023 Task 64: Tips and Tricks to Contract and Design a SHIP Project It can be a big challenge to contract and design a SHIP (Solar Heat for Industrial Processes) project. SHC Task 64 on Solar Process Heat is working... read more
05 JAN 2023 Inaugural ISES & IEA SHC EuroSun At the first jointly organized EuroSun between ISES and IEA SHC, having over 480 solar experts from more than 50 countries gather in Kassel,... read more
05 JAN 2023 2023 Kicks Off With Two New Projects Two new Tasks were approved at the December SHC Executive Committee Meeting. Both Tasks, one on lighting and the other on life cycle and cost assessment,... read more
05 JAN 2023 Solar Geysers Beat the Limescale Blues in Limpopo Families and members at Airforce Base Makhado in Limpopo are reaping the benefits of yet another energy efficiency project – this time, solar... read more
05 JAN 2023 Country Report: France in a Dynamic Solar Thermal Renewal The planets seem to be aligned once again for solar thermal in France. The solar thermal market is finally on the rise again, with 53,600 m2... read more
04 JAN 2023 ORVI Social Housing project wins IEA SHC 2022 Solar Award ORVI’s housing project provides a simple, affordable, sustainable solar water heating option for 58 locally built homes. read more
22 DEC 2022 Analysing 126 solar energy buildings across Europe The revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings directive tightens the energy standards for buildings across the European Union. The member states... read more
13 DEC 2022 Tips and tricks regarding design and success factors for SHIP It is generally a big challenge to contract and design solar industrial heat projects (SHIP). read more
07 DEC 2022 Solar district heating solutions providing higher temperatures A well-attended second meeting of the research group IEA SHC Task 68 Efficient Solar District Heating took place at the beginning of November. A total... read more
01 DEC 2022 Etango Magazine: SOLTRAIN funded ORVI Social Housing Project Wins IEA SHC 2022 Solar Award The Orange River Vineyards Investment (ORVI) social housing project in Aussenkehr, in southern Namibia, is the winner of the prestigious International... read more
29 OCT 2022 Life cycle assessment for solar thermal systems The IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme will start a cross-sectoral research group on life cycle and cost assessment (LCA). read more
26 OCT 2022 Optimised PVT and heat pump combinations for heating and cooling of buildings In combination with the Eurosun 2022 conference, the second IEA SHC Task 66 industry workshop entitled "Solar thermal and/or PVT combined with heat pumps... read more
23 OCT 2022 IEA SHC Solar Award winner: social housing project in Namibia The ORVI Social Housing Project in Namibia has won the IEA SHC 2022 Solar Award. Leonhard Eins, Managing Director of the Namibian company Solsquare Energy,... read more
19 OCT 2022 Future potential of solar cooling in the sunbelt region The energy demand for air-conditioning is growing faster than any other energy consumption in buildings. The main share of the projected growth for space... read more
14 OCT 2022 S-@ccess Conference - April 26-28, 2023 - Mallorca, Spain The SHC TCP is pleased to be a Supporting Organization of the 4th International Conference on Solar Technologies and Hybrid Mini-Grids to... read more
08 OCT 2022 Small carbon footprint of large solar field in France Green technologies also have a carbon footprint. Energy is used for raw materials, production, transport and operation. Life cycle assessment (LCA) for... read more
07 OCT 2022 EuroSun 2022: Renewables enable crisis-proof heat supply and energy security 480 solar experts from more than 50 countries gathered in Kassel from 25 to 29 September 2022 for Eurosun 2022 - the International Conference on Solar... read more
28 SEP 2022 Orange River Vineyard (ORVI) Social Housing project in Aussenkehr, Namibia wins 2022 SHC Solar Award. ORVI's housing provides a simple, affordable, sustainable solar water heating option with locally built homes. Ms. Helvi IIeka, Centre Head, Renewable... read more
15 SEP 2022 Heat pumps: Competition or complement in district heating? For decades, the Danish solar district heating sector has been a shining example for the world. And with the help of new heat pump-solar hybrid designs,... read more
03 SEP 2022 Eurosun 2022: Engaging keynotes by a unique mix of policy and research experts From 26 to 29 September, Kassel, Germany, will be the venue for the Eurosun 2022 conference. read more
02 SEP 2022 Solar Neighborhoods - Strategies and Application Case Studies The University of Calgary’s School of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape (SAPL) is inviting industry, policy makers, partners, faculty, students, and... read more
11 AUG 2022 Insights into global PVT market development The demand for PVT collectors has grown rapidly in the last two years. Annual sales of PVT capacity increased 57% to 167,165m2 in 2021, after growth of... read more
09 AUG 2022 Nominated projects for Solar Award described in Solar Update Newsletter The IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Program has nominated four outstanding projects from Australia, France, Namibia and South Africa aimed at reducing energy... read more
29 JUN 2022 Task 69 in the News IEA SHC initiative to increase quality and market volumes of smart solar hot water systems read more
20 JUN 2022 IEA SHC Solar Award 2022 Shortlist Four nominations are shortlisted for the International Energy Agency Solar Heating Programme (IEA SHC) 2022 SHC SOLAR AWARD. The Award will be presented... read more
20 JUN 2022 Solar Thermal Market Records Year of Growth The solar thermal market saw 3% growth in 2021 after seven years of decline. Noteworthy development was reported from some of the largest solar heat markets. read more
17 JUN 2022 Solar Award Recognizes Outstanding Solar Building Concepts Two very convincing and transferable solar integration concepts realized in Solar Decathlon Europe buildings received the Solar Award. read more
05 JUN 2022 16 Living Spaces for a Better World Solar Decathlon – the world's largest construction competition for universities – will open for visitors in mid-June in Wuppertal, Germany. read more
23 MAY 2022 Testing improved thermochemical heat storage in a real environment Source: AEE INTEC (Photo taken from the recording of the session) The session Emerging Heat and Cold Storages during the ISEC conference in April... read more
15 MAY 2022 IEA SHC initiative to increase quality and market volumes of smart solar hot water systems Providing reliable and long-lasting solar-driven hot water solutions for households – this is the main objective of the planned research platform called... read more
10 MAY 2022 Ammonia recovery to serve as fertilizer and energy fuel Production of ammonia as a fertilizer is a huge global industry with an enormous energy demand. The Austrian institute AEE INTEC has successfully operated... read more
04 MAY 2022 Certification and labelling: Experts answer questions from the industry Third-party quality control is key for consumers. Labelling of products supports customers in taking the right decisions. For solar collectors in Europe,... read more
14 APR 2022 How to get renewable energy to buildings in dense urban areas On 23 March 2022, the first industry workshop organised by IEA SHC Task 66 – Solar Energy Buildings showcased solar building ideas from different corners... read more
18 MAR 2022 Guidelines for wastewater treatment technologies in preparation Operating a water treatment plant is a complex task in itself. If you start thinking about using solar energy to drive certain separation or disinfection... read more
09 FEB 2022 EuroSun 2022 in Germany: Call for papers The University of Kassel, Germany, will host EuroSun 2022 between 25 and 29 September. The conference will be jointly organised by the International Solar... read more
09 FEB 2022 Support joint marketing efforts for solar district heating At a workshop set to take place on 4 and 5 April in Graz, Austria, the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme will launch a new research platform about... read more
14 JAN 2022 Global Solar Certification Network and Solar Heating Initiative join forces “Unite for solar heat” is the idea behind a new alliance forged between the Global Solar Certification Network and the Solar Heating Initiative. read more
12 JAN 2022 SHC Solar Award 2022 - Call for Nominations Open! The SHC Solar Award of the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme (IEA SHC) celebrates the success of those working to increase the market impact of solar... read more
12 JAN 2022 IEA SHC Award 2022 recognises outstanding social housing projects The IEA SHC Solar Award 2022 will recognise an organisation or individual that implemented a solar heating or cooling project in the last five years to... read more
10 JAN 2022 Training Workshop Explores Economic and Technical Aspects of Solar Cooling in Southern Africa The IEA SHC Solar Academy and SOLTRAIN (Southern African Solar Thermal Training and Demonstration Initiative) hosted with the support of SACREEE and SANEDI... read more
20 DEC 2021 Solar Process Heat Simulation Tools to Assess Yield Solar process heat system yields are simulated during feasibility studies and have a decisive influence on the profitability of the project investment.... read more
20 DEC 2021 Solar Academy Update: Training Workshop Explores Economic and Technical Aspects of Solar Cooling in Southern Africa The IEA SHC Solar Academy and SOLTRAIN (Southern African Solar Thermal Training and Demonstration Initiative) hosted with the support of SACREEE and... read more
20 DEC 2021 Interview: Renovating Historic Buildings Towards Zero Energy In November, the IEA SHC Programme finalized its work on Renovating Historic Buildings Towards Zero Energy (SHC Task 59/EBC Annex 76). To learn first-hand about... read more
20 DEC 2021 The Role of Solar in Switzerland’s Energy Transition Switzerland ratified the Paris Agreement on 6 October 2017, setting a commitment to reduce emissions 50% by 2030 from 1990 levels, with partial... read more
20 DEC 2021 Taking Solar Neighborhood Tools to the Classroom Solar neighborhoods are a piece in the puzzle in achieving net-zero energy districts and low-carbon cities. This is why the IEA SHC Task 63: Solar... read more
20 DEC 2021 INTERVIEW: Integrated Solutions for Daylighting and Electric Lighting The SHC Programme finalized its work on Integrated Solutions for Daylighting and Electric Lighting (SHC Task 61/EBC Annex 77) in November. To learn... read more
20 DEC 2021 The Real Climate Strikers Trade unions, which facilitate collaboration between employees to achieve strategic common employment-related goals, have a complex relationship with... read more
20 DEC 2021 Task 61 The Best From Both Worlds: Integrated Solutions For Daylight and Electric Lighting The IEA SHC Programme has worked on different lighting aspects over the years. The first SHC Tasks looked solely into the benefits of efficient daylight... read more
20 DEC 2021 Future Role of Solar Heat in the IEA’s Net Zero Roadmap In May, the International Energy Agency published the 224-page report, Net Zero by 2050: A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector, challenging policymakers... read more
05 DEC 2021 New tool provides over 150 solutions for historic building retrofits A new web application named HiBERtool helps practitioners find the perfect solution for the conservation of historic buildings. read more
30 NOV 2021 #EnergyEfficientLighting: Dynamic research group publishes 16 reports The success of highly energy-efficient lighting designs hinges on more than technological ingenuity. Other key make-or-break factors are smart control... read more
05 NOV 2021 Pathway to 100 % renewables: “Industry is a really hard-to-abate sector” The world is burning more fossil fuels than ever. We need deep structural change,” REN21 Executive Director Rana Adib warned attendees at a panel discussion... read more
04 NOV 2021 Standardised yield assessments for industrial solar heat plants The yield of solar process heat systems as simulated during feasibility studies has a decisive influence on the profitability of the respective investment.... read more
01 NOV 2021 Tackling the complexity of urban-level energy simulations A special “Fall School” for PhD and advanced master's students to enhance their knowledge of designing and implementing solar strategies in urban areas... read more
26 SEP 2021 China’s future role in the IEA SHC Programme The Chinese solar thermal market shows a varied picture of demand. While subsectors such as solar space heating are booming, total market volume continues... read more
20 SEP 2021 IEA SHC Solar Cooling Task: “We can make a difference” US project developer ergSol is a true pioneer. The company is not only putting up large commercial solar heat systems in California but also supports the... read more
10 SEP 2021 IEA SHC workshop to create 'Smart Solar Water Heating for 2030' research platform With 57 % of the total solar heating capacity in operation globally, thermosiphon systems top the list of the world’s most used solar thermal technologies.... read more
28 AUG 2021 SICA countries join IEA SHC with some flagship projects in their region In its current Solar Update Newsletter August 2021 the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme welcomes what is already the sixth Regional Sustainable... read more
10 AUG 2021 How SHIP can compete with heat produced from natural gas in Europe Many studies have shown the huge potential solar thermal has for clean heat production in industry. But so far, there have been comparatively few attempts... read more
08 AUG 2021 Germany’s solar heat success story in 2020 and beyond In 2020, the German market for solar heat grew by 26 % – more than any other major solar thermal market around the globe, according to the new Solar Heat... read more
07 AUG 2021 IEA SHC Welcomes SICREEE & Its Central America Members The Regional Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency of SICA (SICREEE) member countries are Belize, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador,... read more
07 AUG 2021 Our Sleeping Giant at a Crossroad – Which Way Will It Turn? Dr. Daniel Mugnier, the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Technology Collaboration Programme’s former Chair shares his thoughts on the future of... read more
07 AUG 2021 PV2heat in South Africa — Almost 12,000 Systems Installed Through the SOLTRAIN project, coordinated by AEE INTEC and funded by the Austrian Development Agency, the Center for Renewable and Sustainable Energy... read more
07 AUG 2021 Large-Scale Solar Thermal District Heating and Cooling: One on One with Sabine Putz The SHC Programme wrapped up its third project on large solar systems (Task 55) in December 2020. To learn how the Task impacted this market sector,... read more
07 AUG 2021 Integrating Large SHC Systems into District Heating and Cooling Networks Integrating large-scale solar thermal plants into district heating and cooling grids is playing a crucial role in many countries’ energy transformation... read more
07 AUG 2021 PVT Systems: One on One with Jean-Christophe Hadorn The SHC Programme completed its most recent work on PVT Systems (Task 60) in December 2020. To learn how this Task impacted this market sector,... read more
07 AUG 2021 PVT Systems: Heat or Electricity From Solar – Why Only One When You Can Have Both? A solar PV/Thermal (PVT) collector produces both heat and electricity thanks to a combination of a PV panel and a solar thermal collector or absorber.... read more
07 AUG 2021 Unexpected Solar Thermal Partnership Catalyzes Government Collaboration, Skills, Investment and Emissions Targets One of the roles of the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) is to facilitate and coordinate renewable energy and energy efficiency... read more
20 JUL 2021 Develop stable and reliable compact thermal energy storages The IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme has redoubled its efforts to develop and test compact thermal energy storage (CTES), saying the technology... read more
08 JUL 2021 Global PVT market on track for more growth PVT collectors – which use solar radiation to produce both heat and electricity – have been gaining in popularity in a rising number of markets around... read more
03 JUL 2021 Solar Heat Worldwide 2021 – a rich source of global, national and sector-specific data In 2020, Germany was the world’s leading solar district heating market, while China saw the largest increase in the number of industrial solar heat systems... read more
03 JUL 2021 Workflow stories describe use of solar neighbourhood planning tools Experts working on the Solar Neighborhood Planning project have created workflow stories to find out which tools urban planners use and what problems they... read more
28 JUN 2021 German university offers new tool to display factory heat loads To simplify the design of industrial solar heat systems in Europe, the German University of Kassel has developed an Excel tool that can be used to create... read more
24 JUN 2021 New chair for IEA SHC Programme on growth path The new Chair of the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme, also known as IEA SHC, is Tomas Olejniczak, an all-around energy transition and renewable... read more
22 JUN 2021 Greening the Heat Supply Solar Heat Worldwide 2021, with data from 68 countries, is the most comprehensive evaluation of solar heating and cooling markets. The 2021 edition plus... read more
26 MAY 2021 New SDH factsheet database goes online The IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme has just launched a database containing a substantial number of fact sheets about solar district heating technologies,... read more
20 MAY 2021 Europe holds top spot for SHIP incentives Spain has recently launched an investment grant scheme focused on industrial solar heat, joining an already long list of European countries – including... read more
10 MAY 2021 Australian PV Institute (APVI) Highlights SHC PVT Technology Position Paper Photovoltaic Thermal (PVT) can increase energy yield per square meter by extracting heat from PV panels, and diverting that energy into the building’s... read more
05 MAY 2021 SBE21 conference spotlights historic NZEBs The SBE21 Heritage conference in mid-April involved a deep exchange of ideas between researchers, architects and practitioners about how to reduce the... read more
02 MAY 2021 How to design an 85 % solar-heated and 100 % solar air-conditioned house During an online meeting from 1 to 2 July, the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling programme will launch a new global research platform called Task 66 Solar... read more
26 APR 2021 Survey: Multiple-benefits and priorities in Solar Neighborhoods What are the priorities in the planning of your neighborhoods and cities? You are invited to contribute to our research on Solar Neighborhoods. read more
24 APR 2021 Solar-heated multi-family buildings gain popularity in Germany Many new largely solar-heated houses in Germany are multi-family buildings, and their number is growing, according to Sonnenhaus-Institut (Solar House... read more
24 APR 2021 Solar houses: above 95 % solar fraction is possible Between 2014 and 2019, the Austrian Climate and Energy Fund supported the construction of over 100 solar-heated houses, 19 of which were monitored by the... read more
14 APR 2021 Water-energy nexus in wastewater management Solar-powered water treatment can significantly reduce industrial manufacturers’ water and energy footprints and turn municipal water treatment plants... read more
13 APR 2021 On-Site Registration available for SBE21 From the 14th to the 16th of April 2021, it will be possible to register “on-site”. The “on-site” day-by-day registration... read more
29 MAR 2021 SHC Technology Position Paper: Building Integrated Solar Envelope Systems for HVAC and Lighting The quest to decarbonize society's electrical and thermal systems has never been more urgent. In this Technology Position Paper, experts of IEA SHC Task... read more
26 MAR 2021 Improving the efficiency of Solar District Heating (SDH) Since the end of IEA SHC Task 55 – Large Solar District Heating and Cooling Systems last December, there have been multiple calls for continuing the work... read more
28 FEB 2021 PV-Thermal: Major markets and most sought-after technologies IEA SHC Task 60, Application of PVT Collectors, shows how a fruitful collaboration between industry and research can lead to a thorough analysis of current... read more
25 FEB 2021 SBE keynote speakers announced Get inspired by SBE21 Heritage Keynote Speakers Dr. Ege Yildirim and Prof. Harald Garrecht. read more
24 FEB 2021 Strategies to promote solar envelopes In the last four years, the multidisciplinary IEA SHC Task 56 research group worked intensively on strategies to increase the market penetration of solar... read more
08 FEB 2021 ISES and IEA SHC partner up to host Solar World Congress 2021 In 2021, the Solar World Congress will continue as an online event offering a wide variety of digital networking opportunities. Originally, SWC 2021 was... read more
28 JAN 2021 Using solar energy to recover acids and metals from wastewater An IEA SHC research group led by Dr Joachim Koschikowski, of Fraunhofer ISE, has created a matrix depicting thermal separation methods for industrial wastewater... read more
15 JAN 2021 SHC Technology Position Paper: PVT Collectors and Systems The quest to decarbonize society's electrical and thermal systems has never been more urgent. In this Technology Position Paper, experts of IEA SHC Task... read more
14 JAN 2021 Trigeneration with PVT ? here is a nice example from Spain This Spanish plant is based on solar hybrid PVT collectors integrated with a reversible heat pump (vapour-compression unit) for heating, cooling, electricity... read more
13 JAN 2021 Task 60 highlights 2020 is available in the publications section of the Task60 website The "Task highlights" is the summary of work achieved during 2020. read more
21 DEC 2020 Assessing lighting quality in commercial buildings How effective are integrated daylighting and electric lighting solutions in raising comfort and saving energy? To answer this question, a group of researchers... read more
17 DEC 2020 Surface synergies and conflicts in smart cities Surface area is an important but limited resource in cities that aim to become climate neutral. It can be used to, for example, generate heat or electricity... read more
16 DEC 2020 Heat Load Profiles – A Key for Unlocking Renewable Heating Systems Potential In the context of IEA SHC Task 64: Solar Process Heat, researchers developed a method to estimate the heat load profiles of companies in industry... read more
16 DEC 2020 Lighting Solutions with People in Mind The collaborative project, SHC Task 61 / EBC Annex 77 on Integrated Solutions for Daylight and Electric Lighting: From Component to User Centered... read more
16 DEC 2020 IEA SHC & IEA ECES Collaboration Makes Advances in Thermal Energy Storage Thermal energy storage is key for integrating renewable heat sources into an energy system --from domestic applications to district heating and from... read more
16 DEC 2020 Material and Component Development for Thermal Energy Storage The IEA SHC Programme concluded its joint project with the IEA Energy Conservation through Energy Storage (ECES) Programme on Material and Component... read more
01 DEC 2020 Hybrid solutions are key to decarbonising industry Industrial solar heat will be a key element of any strategy to decarbonise the industrial sector. A mid-November workshop organised by partners to the... read more
22 NOV 2020 Technical and market assessment of solar cooling in the Caribbean IEA SHC Solar Academy’s first online training sessions on solar heating and cooling in the Caribbean have been well received by those attending the event. read more
20 NOV 2020 Fact sheets TASK 55 available TASK 55 ends soon! Currently the fact sheets are in finalization. There are already some fact sheets downloadable. read more
14 NOV 2020 Solar thermal cooling reduces the strain on the power grid Global IEA Solar Heating and Cooling research platform Task 65, called Solar Cooling for the Sunbelt Regions, aims to provide countries in Africa, Asia... read more
06 NOV 2020 Online workshop about solar-powered industrial water management Using solar energy to decontaminate and disinfect industrial water could save both GHG emissions and water. To this end, the Water Solar Treatment research... read more
04 NOV 2020 TrustEE standardises project assessment and financing Any company that wants to be successful in selling industrial solar heat solutions to end users and investors needs standardised project assessment and... read more
27 OCT 2020 Improved design for giga-size pit heat storage Denmark’s cost-effective, tried-and-true seasonal pit heat storage concept needs to be modified if it is to be implemented across Europe, since district... read more
30 SEP 2020 Four years of global SDH research summarised in online workshop and factsheets On Thursday, 15 October 2020, an online technology transfer workshop about large solar district heating networks will provide attendees with the perfect... read more
20 SEP 2020 Thermal storage for flexible sector integration In his keynote speech at Eurosun 2020, Dr Andreas Hauer talked about the different roles that heat storage could play as part of a whole systems approach... read more
07 SEP 2020 Strong European research network meets at Eurosun Yesterday marked the start of the first virtual Eurosun. More than 200 experts from the worlds of research and business had signed up for the three-day... read more
27 AUG 2020 Little support for PV-thermal despite high yields PVT applications do not receive nearly as much support as solar thermal or PV systems do. Incentive schemes especially often do not include funding for... read more
27 JUL 2020 Region with high solar ambitions joins IEA SHC One of the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme’s new sponsors is SACREEE, the Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, set up by the Southern... read more
16 JUL 2020 New Solar Cooling Project The new project, Task 65: Solar Cooling for the Sunbelt Regions, builds upon our past four solar cooling Tasks. This Task will be different in that it... read more
16 JUL 2020 Solar Energy in Industrial Water and Wastewater Management The change to a sustainable, resource- and energy-efficient industry represents a major challenge in the coming years. The efficient supply of energy,... read more
16 JUL 2020 Building Integrated Solar Envelopes: Current Status and Actions Needed The objective of our Task on Building Integrated Solar Envelope Systems for HVAC and Lighting was to answer how solar envelope systems can become common... read more
13 JUL 2020 Digital lighting controls improve user satisfaction Designing energy-efficient lighting for offices and public buildings requires a deep understanding of user requirements. read more
11 JUL 2020 Export champions from Greece offer good value for money The Greek solar thermal industry is an export champion: The total collector area sold to customers abroad tripled from 200,000 m2 to 600,000 m2 in only... read more
10 JUL 2020 Solar cooling concepts for hot climates The just started international research platform Solar Cooling for the Sunbelt region is very popular among research institutions, manufacturers and consultancies... read more
02 JUL 2020 Fact sheets show 30 operational PV-thermal systems PV-thermal installations are extremely versatile systems, and their manufacturers can cater to a wide variety of customers, single- and multi-family building... read more
24 JUN 2020 Success factors in top SDH countries In the last decade, Denmark, China, Germany and Austria played a leading role in the deployment of large solar thermal systems around the world. What country-specific... read more
19 JUN 2020 SBE Heritage conference calls for papers The SBE conference’s 2021 edition will be held under the title SBE Heritage in Bolzano, Italy, between 14 and 16 April 2021. read more
18 JUN 2020 Optimising life-cycle costs in the construction industry A facade to capture solar energy is a particularly appealing option if a solar thermal system is to be integrated into an office or a multi-family building,... read more
11 JUN 2020 SWC/SHC 2019 Proceedings now available We are pleased to announce that the proceedings of the SWC/SHC 2019 are now available online. read more
03 JUN 2020 Round robins improve TCM testing Thermochemical storage materials (TCMs) offer much higher storage capacities by mass or volume than sensible or latent heat storage and can store heat... read more
03 JUN 2020 FINAL SHC Task 55 Expert Meeting - Online Meeting - October 13 - 15 The meeting will be held as a pure virtual/online meeting via ZOOM. Registered participants will receive the ZOOM link in the week before the start of... read more
29 MAY 2020 Product Gallery is ready Visit our gallery and click on the images to access information on the single technologies. read more
21 MAY 2020 Lessons learned from first IEA SHC online meetings “It worked very, very well and we saved a lot of emissions,” said one of the participants in the two-day online workshop organised by research platform... read more
19 MAY 2020 Call for Proposals: SBE21 Heritage The conference will be dedicated to the sustainable improvement of the built heritage, a research area that has grown significantly over the last 10 years... read more
30 APR 2020 Hybrid solutions maximise solar yield per area A record 840 people registered for the PVT solutions for buildings and industry webinar in order to learn more about the wide range of applications in... read more
24 APR 2020 Compact heat battery with virtually no heat loss A compact thermochemical seasonal storage system put up at a demonstration site in Warsaw, Poland, is working as expected. The prototype, developed and... read more
02 MAR 2020 How to reduce energy consumption in historic buildings? Historic buildings make up 30 % of the European building stock and account for more than a third of the total energy consumption in the residential sector... read more
20 FEB 2020 Solar Energy Buildings to make cities fit for the future Buildings account for around 40 % of the world’s primary energy consumption. Hence, they are the number one cause of resource consumption on earth. read more
10 FEB 2020 Using solar steam to clean wastewater Manufacturers have begun looking for solutions to lower the cost of wastewater disposal. One way for them to reduce the volume of contaminated water is... read more
29 JAN 2020 March 25 2020 - A SHC ISES webinar on PVT systems ! Task 60 experts will give a Webinar on PVT on March 2020 on internet. Exact time and how to attend will be communicated as soon as possible. Check also... read more
29 JAN 2020 A solar PVT DHW system studied in DK The performance of the system was assessed using selected key performance indicators. A parametric analysis was performed identifying component sizes that... read more
20 JAN 2020 UK Training Workshop on Renewable Heat for Heat Networks Held in December In December, Triple Point Heat Networks Investment Management, in collaboration with the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling TCP, hosted a workshop in the UK... read more
08 JAN 2020 Compact thermal energy storage: research in cycles Research into compact thermal energy storage is made difficult by the fact that the performance of storage materials depends significantly on their intended... read more
07 JAN 2020 Solar World Congress 2019 Water and energy are the most important resources globally. The term ‘water-energy nexus’ underlines their close connection, and the phrase has become... read more
28 DEC 2019 In search of cost-effective, advanced PCMs Salt hydrates are the most interesting phase change material in the low-temperature range of up to 150 °C. Their volume-related enthalpy at melting is... read more
20 DEC 2019 Solar World Congress : A keynote speech on PVT by Korbinian Kramer On Nov. 4 2019 in Santiago de Chile at the Solar World congress and also SHC 2019 conference, Korbinian our Subtask B leader, gave a talk on PVT. This... read more
01 DEC 2019 Andreas Häberle: First large projects tap the potential of solar industrial heat Electricity is dominating the international discussion about the decarbonisation of the energy sector. In reality, only one-third of our energy demand... read more
01 DEC 2019 Final IEA SHC Task 55 Expert Meeting FINAL Task 55 Expert Meeting: October 13th to15th, 2020 will probably take place in Graz, Austria. We are looking forward to welcome you in Graz in October... read more
27 NOV 2019 Touring exhibition shows retrofits in 11 historic buildings In October, Vienna became the first venue for the new touring exhibition Historic Buildings Energy Retrofit Atlas. At the European Congress on the Use,... read more
10 NOV 2019 IEA SHC Solar Award 2019: French company, KYOTHERM wins for solar thermal third-party ESCO financing KYOTHERM of France wins the International Energy Agency Solar Heating Programme (IEA SHC) SOLAR AWARD. KYOTHERM’s third-party ESCO solution creates a commercial... read more
07 NOV 2019 IEA SHC Solar Award 2019 KYOTHERM of France wins the International Energy Agency Solar Heating Programme (IEA SHC) SOLAR AWARD. KYOTHERM’s third-party ESCO solution creates a commercial... read more
30 OCT 2019 IEA SHC Solar Academy: Material and Component Development for Thermal Energy Storage - November 27, 2019 The International Solar Energy Society is hosting the next webinar in the IEA SHC Solar Academy's 2019 webinar series on Task 58 - Material and Component... read more
30 OCT 2019 Encouraging faster materials development for compact storage Research and industry experts in thermochemical storage materials are invited to participate in a workshop that will take place on 11 and 12 November in... read more
30 SEP 2019 Global support for solar cooling in sunbelt regions Transferring knowledge and solar cooling technology to sunbelt countries in Africa, on the Mediterranean coast and in Asia will be the main aim of a new... read more
19 SEP 2019 Solar planning experts meet in France Between 22 and 24 October, the University of Savoie Mont Blanc in Le Bourget-du-Lac, France, will be the venue for the first meeting about research platform... read more
19 SEP 2019 Webinar: How to use facades to generate solar energy Sept. 3, 2019, SolarThermalWorld.org, by Bärbel Epp read more