workshops
- SOLTRAIN: Free Solar Heating Systems for Social Institutions-
Two solar water heating systems – one at an old people’s home and the other at an orphanage (photo) – started operating this March thanks to an initiative by SESSA members Holms and Friends, and the Austrian Development Agency (ADA). Together with another system completed last year, the installations are part of an ADA pledge in support of the SOLTRAIN (Southern African Solar Thermal Training and Demonstration Initiative) project, which is coordinated by Professor Dieter Holm and Henning Holm of Holms and Friends (formerly Omnibus Engineering). Promised are more than 50 solar water heating systems (see http://www.solarthermalworld.org/node/3466).
Photo: SESSA - Advancing Solar Water Heating in Southern Africa - The Example of Soltrain (2011)-
This report evaluates the progress of the SOLTRAIN project in Southern Africa in the period 2009-2011. The project’s initiation was covered by solarthermalworld.org back in 2009, and is available here.
- China: Workshop on Building-integrated Solar Energy-
The International Metal Solar Industrial Alliance (IMSIA) and the newly founded China Association of Building Energy Efficiency (BISE) have started off their official cooperation at the beginning of March by organising a first shared workshop on Building-integrated Solar Energy in Chengdu, Sichuan province. The objective of the new initiative is to increase the share of energy-efficient buildings and the use of renewable energies in the construction sector.
Photo: IMSIA - Italy: District Heating Sector shows great Interest in Solar Thermal-
On 29 and 30 September, the project partners of the EU project SDHtake-off met for a workshop during the GeoThermExpo in Ferrara, Italy. “All the big players in district heating in Italy joined our meeting,” project coordinator Thomas Pauschinger from German research centre Solites says. He sees that as an indicator for the growing interest of the district heating industry in solar thermal applications. The Italian town Serrazzano (Photo) might soon have a solar district heating system.
Photo: Geo Energy Service - Lebanon: Check List for Solar Installations in Hospitals-
The demonstration of best practise - a solar thermal system on the roof of the Saida Governmental Hospital - showed some technical deficiencies at second glance. The monitoring of the system led to a check list including preventive maintenance advice.
Photo: Solarnet - Austria: Solar District Heating Workshop and Plant Visit Tour -
Solar District Heating (SDH) is making its first step into the market. According to the website of IEE project “SDHtake-off - Solar District Heating in Europe”, experts estimate a long-term potential for solar district heat of 5% and an annual solar heat production of roughly 30 TWhth. From 16 to 17 March 2011, the initiators of the SDHtake-off will hold a Workshop and Plant Visit Tour on solar district heating. The event will take place in Graz, Austria. - TREE seminar on financing Projects in Abu Dhabi and South Africa-
The three speakers for the two-day workshop in Abu Dhabi (from left): Riadh Bhar (Ecofys Germany), Uli Jakob (Solem Consulting) and Rainer Schmidt (TST-C Thomas Schmidt Consultants GmbH) had extensive discussions with the participants about project design and financing of renewable energy systems in the field of solar cooling, solar process heat, photovoltaics and energy efficiency in buildings.
Photo: Solem Consulting - Trans-Solar: Knowledge Transfer to 7 CEE Partner Countries -
After running for 26 months, the European Trans-Solar project finally ended in January 2010. Its aim had been to transfer solar thermal know-how from the old EU Member States to the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.
Source: www.cres.gr/trans-solar/ - Calls for Intensive R&D on Solar Thermal Air Drying in India-
The Sardar Patel Renewable Energy Research Institute (SPRERI) organized a one day workshop on solar thermal drying at the end of March 2010. Its aim was to intensify the efforts of tapping into the national market potential for using solar applications to dry agricultural products.
Photo: Jaideep Malaviya - Foundation to Support Proliferation of Solar Keymark Quality Standard -
The Solar Keymark Network is about to establish a foundation to support the further proliferation of this quality standard. The reason for this decision can be traced back to a change in the definition of types and sub types by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and its subsequent reduction in the fees at the beginning of this year.
