Heat Storage

The six main features in different colours: This is the brand mark of a new website called saisonalspeicher.de (seasonal heat storage) launched in December by Solites, the German Research Institute for Solar and Sustainable Thermal Energy Systems within the company network of the Steinbeis Foundation.

This report was issued by the Green Institute in 2008 and discusses the option of a “solar carve-out” to build Minnesota’s solar future.

To develop Minnesota’s renewable sources beyond 25 percent, development of additional renewable energy will be necessary, specifically solar technology.

This report was released in 2010, but provides an overview and tables with historical data from 1999-2008. It was prepared by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) and it gives a summary of total shipments and manufacturing trends in 2008 in the U.S.

In 2008, active manufacturers and importers rose from 60 to 74, and almost 17 million square feet of solar thermal collectors were shipped. This was also on the rise from 15.2 million square feet in 2007.

This is a report prepared by the Minnesota Department of Commerce Office of Energy Security (OES) to the Legislature. It focuses on solar thermal technologies for domestic hot water and space heating. This legislation came about from concerns that the nationally recognized solar thermal certification organization, Solar Rating and Certification Corporation (SRCC), process was inadequately serving Minnesota’s solar thermal industry.

This document from 1999 was prepared by the American Solar Roofing Company and explains building integrated solar thermal (BIST) designs.

There are four characteristics mentioned in this report to help distinguish the different types of BIST roofing: roof panel size, heat transfer fluid containment, glazing and focusing methods. It discusses the history of BIST and mentions some of the earliest examples of this technology. It also explains the composition of these systems, describing the materials used and how it works.

This report was released by the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy section of the U.S. Department of Energy in 2004. It highlights a large-scale solar thermal system installed at the Phoenix Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) and breaks down the statistical output.

The system was financed through an Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC), which include an average annual savings of $6,700. The system produces up to 50,000 gallons of hot water daily, 1,000 megawatt-hours of electricity and releases approximately 600 tons of CO2.

This manuscript was written by Sandia Corporation with the U.S. Department of Energy in 2008. It reports recent developments of multi-component molten salt formulations that have advantageous properties for applications as heat transfer fluids for parabolic trough solar systems.

These alternative transfer fluids demonstrate stability in the presence of air up to approximately 500 degrees Celsius, and is expected to be inexpensive compared to synthetic organic heat transfer fluids.

This report was prepared by the Washington State University Energy Program, along with Dethman & Associates in 2004. They assess the solar thermal market in Oregon through collecting data and interviews from installers and consumers, and displayed their findings in this document.

This fact sheet was written by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute in 2009. The document starts with a brief background on solar thermal energy and then describes the different types of solar thermal systems (parabolic trough, linear fresnal reflectors, dish/engine, power tower).

This handbook was released by the US Department of Defense in 2004. It presents design criteria and cost analysis methods for sizing and justification of solar heat collectors for potable water and space heaters. Sufficient information is presented to enable engineers to design solar space conditioning and water heating systems or conduct feasibility studies based on solar collector performance, site location, and economics. Both retrofit and new installations are considered.