South Korea

• Germany: Solar Thermal Experts Discuss Cost-Cutting Strategies -

  The solar thermal industry is facing major challenges: Costs of storage and collector components have to be reduced even further if large solar plants are to offer investors competitive prices for heating. Hence, 170 industry representatives and scientists from all around the world came together at the international industry conference SMEThermal 2012 in Berlin at the beginning of February 2012 to explore cost-cutting strategies during a round-table discussion.
  Photo: Solarpraxis AG / Therese Aufschlager

• South Korea: Commercial Sector Dominates-

  The commercial solar thermal market is gaining importance in South Korea. According to the Korea New and Renewable Energy Center (KNREC), only 43 % of the glazed and subsidised collector area in 2010 was installed in residential housing. The majority of systems were set up in public buildings because of a mandatory renewable law, and in social welfare facilities due to a 50 % investment subsidy. The KNREC pie chart of the collector market in 2010 adds up to 69,805 m². The statistics do not include thermosiphon systems (not subsidised by the government), as well as certain not certified types of imported vacuum tube collector systems.
  Source: KNREC

• International Green Energy Expo Korea 2012, Daegu- The International Green Energy Expo Korea 2012 will take place from 28 to 30 March 2012 in Daegu. Since the annual expo was first held in conjunction with the international Solar City Congress in 2004, it has been recognized as Korea's leading platform for renewable energy companies that are interested in both the growing Korean and Asian markets.
• South Korea: Hospital receives 1,040 m² of large-scale collectors-

  South Korean company Jehin Co. Ltd finished the first demonstration project which uses its newly developed extra large flat plate collectors of 10 m² each, called “Mega Collectors”. The company's costumer is Mirae Hospital located in Kimje, Junbuk, South Korea, with 709 beds and a daily hot water consumption of 80,000 litres. Jehin delivered 104 collectors with a total surface area of around 1,040 m². The company mounted them on the ground in the near surroundings of the hospital and took the system into operation on 10 March. Air source heat pumps are used as the system's backup heat source.
  Photo: Jehin

• 1,000 Solar Keymark Licenses for Collectors: among them 7 % from China -

  Solar Keymark is a very broadly accepted label on the European solar thermal market. More than 1,000 collector certificates have been issued since the introduction of the certification system in 2003.
  Source: www.solarkeymark.org

• International Green Energy Expo Korea 2011, Daegu- The International Green Energy Expo 2011 will take place from 6 to 8 April 2011 in Daegu.  Since the annual expo was first held in conjunction with the international Solar City Congress in 2004, it has been recognized as Korea's leading platform for renewable energy companies that are interested in both the growing Korean and Asian markets.
• Azerbaijan: Collector and Tank Production for the State-

  State-owned Azerenergy Construction Company (AZENCO), which is based in Azerbaijan in the Caucasian region, started producing solar thermal collectors at the beginning of August and will very soon produce solar tanks, too. The investment was initiated by a state programme, which aims at installing solar heating systems in public buildings.
  

• South Korea: Improved Machinery Equipment for automated Solutions-

  Brazing, soldering and welding specialist Dr Shin from South Korea: The Managing Director of Korean machinery equipment supplier SK Brazing presented several improved products for the manufacturing of tanks and collectors at the Intersolar North America in San Francisco in July 2010.
  Photo: Bärbel Epp

• One Million Green Home Programme-

  The so called “1 Million Green Home Project” in Korea supports a big range of renewable energy technologies: solar thermal, photovoltaics, geothermal, biomass or small wind energy. The aim until 2020 is to create a million homes that use one of these technologies. Each year, the government will set the new budget for the next one.

• Harnessing Solar for District Energy: Europe Leading the Way- This article offers an outline to the solar district heating market in Europe and in particular outlines the trend to diurnal storage and heat-driven cooling applications. A SWOT analysis of the industry points to technical and non-technical barriers for market development, but highlights that among others combined heating and cooling offer advantages to the sector. The greatest potential for market development is foreseen for Germany, France, UK, Poland, Netherlands and Belgium. Information on centralised solar heating plants is also included.
• One Million Green Homes in South Korea-

  “Save Energy Save Earth”: The emblem of the Korean Energy Management Corporation (KEMCO), the energy agency of the Ministry of Knowledge and Economy, shows that the South Korean Government takes climate protection seriously. Photo: Bärbel Epp

• Green Energy Expo, Daegu- Green Energy Expo is the only solar-centered renewable energy exhibition in Korea. Since the annual expo was first held in conjunction with the international Solar City Congress in 2004, it has been recognized as Korea's leading platform for renewable energy companies that are interested in both the growing Korean and Asian markets.
• Renewable Energy 2008, Busan- RE2008 is an international conference and exhibition for the advancement of renewable energy technology and industry. The event was successfully started in Tokyo, Japan, in 2006 (RE2006) and was decided to continue at every two years.