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Latvia: Newly Founded Association Calls for EU-based Standards
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Dear Solarthermalworld.org Reader, Promoting
the use of solar heat across the Baltic states is the vision that has
united three competitors on the market: Raivis Skerstens, CEO of Sun
Invest, Dainis Millersons, CEO of Taupi, and Eduards Melnikovs, CEO of
Altenergo (from left). The three CEOs, who each head a Latvian solar
thermal system integrator, founded the Latvian Association for Solar
Collectors in December 2014 and convinced five more solar thermal system
suppliers and two associations to join in. Several other companies have
already shown interest in the new industry body. The members plan to
organise training and awareness-raising events for various target
groups, in order to inform the public about the advantages of solar
collector use. The association has also called on the Latvian government
to design standards and draft legislation based on European Union
standards. Have a good read and sunny regards The editorial team
Read more»
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Germany: 174 Solar Process Heat Applications in 2.5 Years
by Bärbel Epp
Over the last two and a half years, the German Market Rebate Programme
for Renewable Energies, MAP, has been subsidising half of the net costs
associated with solar process heat for industrial and commercial use in
Germany. All in all, the administrator of the programme has received
applications for 174 systems, of which 88 have so far been set up by the
applicant and subsidised by the programme. “The programme started off
well, but now the number of applications is stagnating,” Ralph Baller,
Head of the MAP division, says. The University of Kassel’s additional
publicity measures, which address planners and installers alike, are
hoped to increase the popularity of the subsidy scheme again.
Read more»
Germany: ISH 2015 and Its Prominent Novelties
by Bärbel Epp
Managers from four different companies showcasing one innovation – a
rare occurrence, even at a large fair like the ISH 2015 in Frankfurt. At
the beginning of March, Rudolf Pfeil, CEO of Resol, Christian Beckmann,
Sales Manager Key Account and OEM at Wilo, Günter Kohlmaier, CEO of
Kioto Solar, and Karsten Pillukeit, CEO of Esbe Group (from left),
jointly presented the newly developed fresh water module, Fresh Hydro,
at the booth of Kioto Solar. Thanks to a patented temperature control,
the fresh water module offers rapid response times without over- or
undershooting. The fresh water system was one of a number of solar
thermal innovations at the ISH which were worth taking a closer look.
Read more»
Germany: Polymer Collector Design for EUR 25 Production
by Eva Augsten
During
project ExKoll, scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy
Systems, Fraunhofer ISE, have developed a new low-cost design for solar
thermal collectors. The entire production of an 80 cm x 160 cm collector
made of polypropylene with an operating temperature resistance of up to
100 °C would amount to a mere EUR 25. A design which includes an
absorber made of polyphenylene sulfide and which can resist operation
temperatures of up to 250 °C would have production costs of around EUR
45 per panel. The polymer collectors are intended for use in
non-pressurised drainback systems in which water serves as the heat
transfer fluid.
Read more»
“Germany is one of the most challenging markets”
by Bärbel Epp
The
Chinese Haier Group is a fairly young company, which has grown into a
huge and still rapidly expanding corporation. Founded in 1984, Haier
currently has 70,000 employees and achieved a turnover of USD 29.5
billion in 2013. In 2007, it started to manufacture solar collectors at
its Chinese headquarters in Qingdao, Shandong Province, and has since
2011 offered solar thermal systems on the national, as well as the
international market. The man who started the sale and distribution of
Haier’s solar thermal products in Germany was Albert Looschen. solarthermalworld.org spoke with him at the ISH fair in Frankfurt in March.
Read more»
Denmark: Abundant Biomass, Little Solar in Industry Incentive Scheme
by Eva Augsten
Danish
incentive programme RE for Production Processes has been extended by
another year until 2021. In 2014, in its first full year, the scheme
supported 196 renewable industry projects, of which only one included
solar heat. "The reason for the relatively small number of solar heat
projects is the purpose of the programme: to use the available fund
money to pull away as much energy resources from fossil to renewables as
possible – and not to target solar heat," Morten Christensen,
consultant at the Danish Energy Agency, explains. According to the
project guidelines, an individual grant cannot exceed an amount of 23
DDK/GJ (11 EUR/MWh) for the substituted fossil energy spanning
over a 10-year operation period.
Read more»
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