University of Stuttgart

April 5, 2018
IEA SHC Webinar: Cost reduction potential above 30 %

The key takeaway from an IEA SHC Solar Academy webinar held on 14 March 2018: There is still much room for cost cuts along the entire solar thermal value chain. The webinar was organised jointly by the IEA Solar Heating & Cooling Programme’s Task 54 and the International Solar Energy...
November 29, 2016
Global Solar Certification Network: Facilitating International High-Quality Collector Trade

The recent approval of Working Rules means that the Global Solar Certification Network (GSCN) can now accept membership applications. The reuse of test and inspection reports in different certification schemes will be possible at the beginning of 2017. The GSCN was developed in Task 43 of...
October 4, 2016
Solar District Heating: Good Performances All Over Europe

The 4^th International Solar District Heating (SDH) Conference, which had been organised under the auspices of Horizon 2020 project SDHp2m…from Policy to Market on 21/22 September 2016 in Denmark, showed the importance of analysing real-life monitoring data from European...
September 8, 2016
IEA SHC: Cost Reduction Analysis Workshops at German University of Stuttgart

System cost reduction is one of the most urgent challenges of the solar thermal sector, especially in central Europe. The aim of Task 54 of the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme, Price Reduction of Solar Thermal Systems, is to lower solar heat prices by up to 40 %. Germany’s...
November 24, 2015
Austria: Promising Results from Test Facility with Solid Zeolite Storage Tank

Tanks with high storage capacity and reduced losses are key to an increased solar heat share in households. Austrian research institute AEE INTEC has recently inaugurated a pilot research facility which promises exactly that: greater storage capacity than water and almost zero energy losses...
October 12, 2015
IEA SHC: Industry Invited to Join Research Community for Lower Solar Heat Costs

Driving down the costs of solar thermal systems is not only about cheaper collector production. In fact, post-production processes, such as sales, installation and maintenance account for up to 50 % of the price the end customer will have to pay. The new IEA SHC Task 54, Price...
August 31, 2015
Latin America on Its Way to Solar Thermal Quality Standards

Brazil is going to implement compulsory certification of solar water heating (SWH) equipment in 2015. Uruguay, Argentina, Chile and Mexico already have laboratories for testing, and Costa Rica has recently set up one. Latin America is working through the regional Pan American Standards...
July 15, 2015
Central Europe: Solar District Heating Cost Comparison

German research institute Solites has compared different models of solar heat use in district heating networks by focusing on the economic viability of these projects. The study Solar Heat Networks for Baden-Württemberg – Fundamentals. Potentials. Strategies....
May 24, 2014
Germany: Strong Decrease in Retrofit Market for Solar Combi Systems

According to the German solar industry association, BSW Solar, and the German heating industry association, BDH, the country saw an 11 % decrease in newly installed solar collector area in 2013, bringing market volume down to 735 MW_th (1.05 million m²). The analysis...
May 7, 2014
Germany: Intersolar Europe and Solar District Heating Conference Cover Numerous Topics

Two international conferences on solar heating and cooling will take place in Germany at the beginning of June: the Intersolar Europe Conference in Munich from 2 to 4 June 2014 and the Solar District Heating Conference in Hamburg on 3 and 4 June 2014. Both event organisers have now...
March 2, 2014
SMEThermal 2014: “The challenge is the energy storage”

Large storage capacity, modular design, high storage density and low heat losses: These are the current requirements for solar thermal heat storage. The result is that hot water storage products are often stretched to their limits. Alternatives could be phase change materials (PCMs) or...
November 16, 2013
Iran: POMAco’s View on Iranian Solar Thermal Market

After Iran’s elections in June and the new government taking over in August, hopes are that solar thermal could become an increasingly important technology in the Mideast country. Hossein Riyahi Dehkordi, Managing Director of Iranian solar company Polar Mehr Iranian - POMAco,...