Laser welding machine for absorber sheets: A patent in the United States could slowdown the development of this technology.
Photo: Sunlaser Consulting
Solar cooling is a promising new field of application for solar thermal technology. A new version of the simulation software Polysun will be published in April. It will not only be able to design solar thermal systems but also solar powered cooling plants that work with compression coolers or...
90 % of South Africa’s electricity is generated by coal-fired power stations. The fourth quarter of 2007, however, started with massive power cuts as electricity supply fell behind demand. Eskom, the largest electricity supplier in Africa, the South African Government and the Global...
Surviving in harsh climate: This vacuum tube collector system has heated the Brandfield House at the Rothera research station in the Antartic since February 2008.
Photo: British Antarctic Survey
U.S. President Obama's signature on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act effectively removed the existing US$2,000 cap for the tax rebate of residential solar thermal systems. Whoever buys a new solar thermal system in 2009 can deduct 30 % of the investment costs from his or her income...
Valuable business contacts: Robert Welling with his company Tisun was the only solar thermal manufacturer from Europe at the fair in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, in the middle of January.
Photo: Tisun
The new subsidy programme of the government of Mauritius has been a successful one. More than 4,000 solar water heaters have received a subsidy of 10,000 Mauritius Rupee (MUR), approximately € 279, by the Development Bank of Mauritius (DBM) since August 2008. The target for the first year of...
The 38 Abengoa parabolic trough collectors on the roof of the piano maker Steinway & Sons in Island City, New York, will produce steam at 200 °C from spring on.
Photo: Steinway
The extension of the federal tax credits by eight years and the election of Barack Obama have suddenly made the U.S. market for solar thermal energy far more attractive. The importance of imports of collectors and systems is growing. The number of flat plate and evacuated tube collectors has...
Crowding at the start button: The new collector production unit of Sun Master in Upper Austria opened on 22 January. Photo: Sun Master
The solar community can breathe a sigh of relief. The sun is shining again over the solar thermal market in Italy. The temporary law of the government from the 29th of November (Decreto Legge 185/08) was approved by the Italian Parliament only after major changes...
The UK was still one of the most dynamic solar thermal markets in Europe in 2008 – despite the worldwide economic crisis. According to the British Solar Trade Association (STA), the amount of solar thermal collectors installed countrywide in 2008 grew by 50 % to 81,000 m2...
