IEA SHC Task 55

May 26, 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, best practices and markets. The 29 documents were written by the most experienced SDH researchers and practitioners from China...
January 7, 2021
Spotlight on SDH potential in Germany, the Netherlands and Austria

Solar thermal will have a key role to play in growing western Europe’s solar district heating markets over the next decades. During last year’s mid-October workshop organised by IEA SHC research platform Task 55 – Towards the Integration of Large Solar Systems into District Heating and...
December 26, 2019
Sabine Putz: Solar Heat for Cities

Europe follows the role model of Denmark were already more than 120 towns, villages and cities use solar district heating. Adapted seasonal heat storage concepts are the big challenge of the future, says Sabine Putz in an Interview at SHC 2019 conference in Santiago de Chile. Sabine Putz...
December 19, 2019
Solar Heat for Cities – brochure and infographics

Why is solar heat such a smart way to create sustainable communities? It improves energy security, keeps heat costs stable for at least 20 years and cuts air pollution in towns and cities. To encourage more mayors, local council members and municipal utilities to look into this cost-...
July 12, 2019
New Solar Keymark Network Rules Allow On-Site Testing

The Solar Keymark Network has expanded its range of options by including in situ testing. At a meeting in March 2019, a revised version of the Solar Keymark (SK) Scheme Rules was approved to allow collector efficiency tests in a real-life environment. It is now possible to create efficiency...
May 17, 2019
Seasonal pit heat storage: Cost benchmark of 30 EUR/m³

Denmark has had a successful learning curve regarding to the cost and efficiency of seasonal pit heat storage, which is used to store sunlight in summer for heating purposes in winter. Take Sunstore 3, for example, a 60,000 m³ pit heat storage system built at a cost of 38 EUR/m³ of storage...
April 11, 2019
GBP 320 million for low-carbon heat networks

Heat networks have proved to be a reliable and cost-effective means to supply low-carbon thermal energy. And yet, just 2 % of buildings in the UK are connected to them. As a result, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy launched the Heat Networks Investment Project (...
May 17, 2018
On-site collector testing: new standard in development

Once a large solar field is set up at its designated location, what tests can be conducted to show that it performs as expected? Soon, the IEA Solar Heating & Cooling Programme may have an answer to this question, as it is working on internationalising Denmark’s testing procedure. No...
February 27, 2018
Solar district heating on the Roof of the World

A contract to set up a solar district heating network in Langkazi county in Tibet has been awarded to Arcon-Sunmark Large-Scale Solar Systems. The Chinese-Danish joint...
July 17, 2017
SHC and SWC 2017: Early Bird Registration Now Available

Benefit from an early bird discount by registering for the joint solar conferences in autumn in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, until 31 August. You need to register only once to attend both the SHC...
May 23, 2017
IEA Task 55: Solar District Heating Means Big Business

Solar district heating is attractive business. Not only does this become obvious when looking at the 347 MW_th of newly installed SDH capacity in Denmark in 2016, but also when one hears about...
May 1, 2017
Netherlands: Solar Thermal Benefits from SDE+ Solar Heat Tariff

In the Netherlands, solar district heating plants with a capacity of 140 kW_th or above can benefit from a feed-in tariff scheme called SDE+, which pays a certain amount per kWh of energy. Under the scheme, operators of renewable energy plants can apply for a subsidy to bridge the...