13 DEC 2024 SunPeek – Automated Power Check for Utility-Scale Solar Heat Systems Evaluating the performance of solar thermal plants is of great interest for operators and it provides a basis for optimizations. A tool for this task is... read more
30 NOV 2024 "We need to ensure thermosiphon systems fit the needs of today’s customer" IEA SHC Task 69 on Solar Hot Water for 2030 brings together the expertise of solar water heating technology experts in Africa and Asia Pacific. read more
16 NOV 2024 National Day shines light on future potential and market realities At the German National Day at the beginning of November entitled “Solar Technology for the Future”, the heat experts clearly pointed out the huge gap that... read more
16 NOV 2024 22 inspiring Solar Neighborhoods Depicted on a Map Urban surfaces play a major role in enhancing sustainability and climate resilience of neighborhoods. They offer opportunities not only for producing renewable... read more
11 NOV 2024 Technology Radar for Solar Energy Buildings Buildings with a high solar fraction require a good mix of technologies and energy efficiency measures. The scientists of IEA SHC Task 66 on Solar Energy... read more
01 NOV 2024 Latest IEA SHC Solar Academy Webinar on District Heating is Now Open for Registration Registration is now open for the latest IEA SHC Solar Academy webinar on Boosting the Efficiency of Solar Thermal District Heating with Digitalization,... read more
24 OCT 2024 Solar Heat Europe becomes official member of the IEA SHC Programme! Solar Heat Europe is now an official Sponsor member of the IEA SHC Programme, becoming the first international industry association to join. This milestone... read more
15 OCT 2024 Berlin National Day Agenda is now online The Berlin National Day on November 5, 2024 = which is being held in conjunction with the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Program Executive Committee Meeting... read more
26 SEP 2024 Standardization and adaption of solar cooling kits for sunbelt regions The future markets for solar thermal cooling systems are in the global south. The IEA study The Future of Cooling predicts that by 2050 37 % of total electricity... read more
23 SEP 2024 Design Guidelines for Urban Surface Uses in Solar Neighborhoods – a way to enter the results of Task 63 These guidelines are a good starting point if you are interested in Solar Neighborhood Planning. read more
18 SEP 2024 Task 71 workshop on LCA and LCOH for heating and cooling technologies October 8, 2024 The workshop is organized by the IEA Task 71 project: Life Cycle and Cost Assessment for Heating and Cooling Technologies. read more
16 SEP 2024 Upcoming Solar Academy Webinar: Manufacturing and Design for Reliability and Durability in Solar Thermosyphon Hot Water Systems Join this session of the IEA SHC Solar Academy webinar series, where experts on solar hot water collector manufacturing, design, and operation will come... read more
16 SEP 2024 SHC Task on Solar Energy Buildings highlights Task results in new video SHC Task 66: Solar Energy Buildings turns to video to summarize the Task's final results and findings. Enjoy the show! read more
06 SEP 2024 “Extremely good and optimistic atmosphere” EuroSun in Cyprus attracted around 200 visitors from over 40 countries. They all recognized that solar heat technologies are an important pillar of the... read more
29 AUG 2024 Newheat project wins IEA SHC 2024 Solar Award Newheat’s LACTOSOL project in Verdun, France, is the winner of the International Energy Agency Solar Heating Programme (IEA SHC) SOLAR AWARD. read more
28 AUG 2024 Technical and efficiency-orientated comparison of solar collectors for district heating A large number of different collector types are available for planners to integrate into district heating systems. A recent report by the IEA Solar Heating... read more
16 AUG 2024 Solar Neighborhood Decision-Making Tool and user manual How to develop and design a solar neighborhood? A tool was developed to support the planning of neighborhoods, considering passive and active solar strategies. read more
09 AUG 2024 New Twist on Solar Academy Webinars The March IEA SHC Solar Academy webinar was a little different from the usual webinars. This webinar tackled a solar heat topic – solar thermal district... read more
09 AUG 2024 Task 67: Standardizing Thermal Energy Storage Measurement Procedures The IEA SHC Programme and the IEA Energy Storage Programme began collaborating in 2009. In this third joint Task on Compact Thermal Energy Storage: Materials... read more
09 AUG 2024 Task 65: Design Guidelines for Solar Cooling Applications The widespread adoption of solar cooling technology in the market is not solely driven by the system’s technical and economic aspects. read more
09 AUG 2024 Reflections from the Chair In June, we saw the publication of the 2024 edition of Solar Heat Worldwide. This flagship publication has been made available to the public since 2005,... read more
09 AUG 2024 TASK 63 INTERVIEW with Maria Wall on Solar Neighborhood Planning The SHC Programme finalized its work on Solar Neighborhood Planning (SHC Task 63) this past April. To learn first-hand about the Task’s impact, we asked the... read more
07 AUG 2024 Poland Joins SHC Programme The road to membership was a bit long and winding. However, with the perseverance of the new SHC Polish Executive Committee member, Justyna Martyniuk-Peczek... read more
07 AUG 2024 Task 63: Planning for Enhanced Solar Access and Utilization in Neighborhoods IEA SHC Task 63: Solar Neighborhood Planning completes the work after more than four years, working on solar strategies, planning aspects, business models,... read more
07 AUG 2024 SACREEE: Empowering Women in Renewable Heating and Cooling: Boosting Participation and Impact read more
07 AUG 2024 Solar Award 2024: Five Projects Short listed Five projects shortlisted for the International Energy Agency Solar Heating Programme (IEA SHC) 2024 SHC SOLAR AWARD. The winner will be announced at the... read more
07 AUG 2024 Poland becomes 20th member country of IEA SHC The addition of Poland will extend the circle of member countries and organizations of the IEA SHC programme. read more
31 JUL 2024 Call for Applications: IEA SHC TCP Secretariat The Executive Committee of the International Energy Agency (IEA) Solar Heating and Cooling Technology Collaboration Programme (SHC TCP) invites applications... read more
31 JUL 2024 Just published - new issue of Solar Update newsletter! Read all about what has been happening in IEA SHC. And, please share our newsletter with your colleagues and beyond. read more
26 JUL 2024 Solar Heat Europe/IEA SHC Joint Industry Session: Solar Heat Market Segments: State of play and prospects to reach climate neutrality by 2050 The IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme in collaboration with Solar Heat Europe is offereing a joint Solar Heat Industry session at Eurosun 2024 in... read more
01 JUL 2024 Have you registered for EuroSun 2024 yet? There is still time! There are several conference discounts available and they can be combined! ISES Members or IEA SHC Members and Task Experts (-50€), Presenting author of... read more
01 JUL 2024 IEA SHC Solar Academy's July webinar! We hope you will join us for this dive into the latest market data and trends. Register here: https://www.iea-shc.org/iea-shc-solar-academy-solar-heat-worldwide-2024-harnessing-solar-thermal-energy-for-a-sustainable-future read more
01 JUL 2024 IEA SHC Solar Award 2024 Shortlist Five nominations are shortlisted for the International Energy Agency Solar Heating Programme (IEA SHC) 2024 SHC SOLAR AWARD. The Award will be presented... read more
21 JUN 2024 Solar Heat Worldwide: two more new world's largest solar heat plants Solar heat is a versatile technology that now provides heating services to 122 million customers worldwide. The recently published Solar Heat Worldwide... read more
21 JUN 2024 Market and technology trends in the global PVT sector Europe is the leading region worldwide for PVT technology. Of the global 1.6 million m2 of PVT collectors in operation, 64 % are installed in Europe. The... read more
17 JUN 2024 See you this August at EuroSun 2024 in Limassol, Cyprus Looking forward to seeing you in Cyprus! read more
11 JUN 2024 Press Release: IEA SHC Solar Heat Worldwide Released The 2024 edition of Solar Heat Worldwide by the IEA SHC Programme underscores the resiliency and changing landscape of solar heat. Notably, this year’s... read more
27 MAY 2024 Fine-tuning phase change materials Compact thermal energy storage can be achieved with a large number of materials. To reduce costs, a high energy density of the storage material at optimal... read more
16 MAY 2024 ENGAGED – a multi-stage framework for participatory urban planning Stakeholder engagement is a hot topic in the discussion about positive energy communities or districts. Some understand it as simply informing citizens... read more
30 APR 2024 “District heating has never had such a high significance in Germany" In Germany, one record-breaking plant is being built after another. Solar district heating is a large, rapidly growing business. read more
09 APR 2024 Stakeholder viewpoints on solar energy buildings How important do you find aspects such as performance, financing and the environment in relation to solar energy buildings? read more
20 MAR 2024 Nominations Open for IEA SHC Solar Award! Share your success! Nominate a solar thermal installation for process heating or cooling by April 15. read more
17 MAR 2024 Facilitating the private sector on the way to climate neutrality The IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme wants to help industries and associations identify their environmental footprint. read more
25 FEB 2024 Energy carriers from solar-powered reactors In future, a lot of green hydrogen will be needed in industry as an energy carrier. read more
25 FEB 2024 Investigation of the boost effect of heat pumps in solar district heating During their most recent meeting in Sweden in October the district heating experts from the IEA SHC Programme discussed the impact of integrating heat... read more
29 JAN 2024 EuroSun 2024 - Final call for papers ends 7 April Don't miss the opportunity to submit your latest and most impressive solar findings! Final deadline is 7 April. Conference themes, click... read more
25 JAN 2024 Making the right decisions for lighting retrofit – now! It is the time of the lighting retrofit in Europe. Since September 2023 all fluorescent lighting – tubes and bulbs - have been banned from sale in the... read more
23 JAN 2024 Overview of design tools and models for solar cooling systems The knowledge hub for solar cooling and air conditioning within the IEA SHC Programme contains a number of new reports. read more
19 JAN 2024 How can the grid load of PV water heating systems in Australia be minimized During the Asia-Pacific Solar Research Conference in December in Melbourne, Australia, the IEA SHC Task 69 Solar Hot Water for 2030 team organized a Special... read more
19 JAN 2024 Task 64 Releases New Technology Position Paper The latest Technology Position Paper is on Solar Heat for Industrial Processes (SHIP). read more
18 JAN 2024 SHC Task 66 Industry Workshop: Solar Energy Buildings--Design, Planning and Operation in Practice Join us February 6th for this free, virtual workshop. Pre-registration required by Jan 31: email Claudia Scholl-Haaf claudia.haaf@igte.uni-stuttgart.de read more
12 JAN 2024 SHC 2024 Solar Award - Call for nominations Submit your program that has reduced costs and environmental impact by providing solar thermal heating or cooling to an industrial process(es). Nominations... read more
29 DEC 2023 Commercially available products and champions of PCMs and TCMs The Compact Thermal Energy Storage group within the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling programme investigates new materials for storing heat and develops standard... read more
22 DEC 2023 New Work: In the Pipeline Two projects are under development and scheduled for approval at the June 2024 IEA SHC Executive Committee. Interested in joining? If from an IEA SHC member... read more
22 DEC 2023 Task 63: 10 Questions on Solar Neighborhood Planning and Design Strategies 10 key questions, 12 authors, and 2 years of drafting time led to a comprehensive paper on planning and design strategies for solar neighborhoods published... read more
22 DEC 2023 Task 64: Solar Thermal at Work The inauguration of the 30 MW parabolic trough plant at the Heineken factory in Seville, Spain, on 30 September 2023 was exactly on time. read more
22 DEC 2023 SOLERGY: Solar Thermal Collector Label Now Available in North America The Solar Rating Certification Corporation (ICC-SRCC) and DIN CERTCO partnered to expand the SOLERGY label to North America. read more
22 DEC 2023 Task 65: Sunbelt Chiller – An Innovative Solar Cooling Adaption In 2016, air conditioning accounted for nearly 20% of the total electricity demand in buildings worldwide and is growing faster than any other energy consumption in... read more
22 DEC 2023 ECREEE Hosts Solar Training in Cape Verde The IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme (IEA SHC) has been working for a number of years to expand its membership beyond the OECD countries, as we... read more
22 DEC 2023 Task 70: Making the right decisions, now! The new IEA SHC LED Guideline for the Promotion of Lighting Retrofitting provides suggestions for accelerating the replacement of old lighting systems,... read more
22 DEC 2023 Solar Energy Buildings Around the World The analysis of 20 Solar Energy Buildings demonstration cases is wrapping up in IEA SHC Task 66 on Solar Energy Buildings. In this article, you will preview... read more
21 DEC 2023 December 2023 Solar Update Newsletter is online! I’m happy to share with you the new and last issue of the Solar Update newsletter in 2023. It’s another full issue with great articles on what’s... read more
04 DEC 2023 Joint Seminar on Large Thermal Energy Storages for District Heating held in Turkey The online seminar on "Large Thermal Energy Storages for District Heating" organized by TTMD together with its international collaborators the... read more
24 NOV 2023 Interdisciplinary author team answers ten questions concerning planning and design strategies for solar neighborhoods 10 key questions, 12 authors and two years of drafting time led to a comprehensive paper on planning and design strategies for solar neighborhoods, which... read more
13 NOV 2023 EuroSun 2024 Announced ISES News Release: ISES and the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme are pleased to announce EuroSun 2024 - the ISES and IEA SHC International Conference... read more
08 NOV 2023 Technical tour to Europe´s largest solar industrial heat plant at Heineken Spain Photo: Alan Pino Araya / IEA SHC Task 64 The inauguration of the 30 MW parabolic trough plant at the Heineken factory in Seville, Spain, on 30 September... read more
06 NOV 2023 IEA SHC Solar Academy training in Cape Verde with high visibility The IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme pursues a multidimensional approach to support the market transformation of solar cooling. read more
19 OCT 2023 There is high potential for using solar energy in wastewater treatment In a circular economy the efficient supply of carbon-free energy and the recovery of resources as well as the treatment of wastewater must go hand in hand. read more
06 OCT 2023 Demo projects of high-solar-fraction buildings carefully analysed The IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme addresses the question of what is needed to reach a high degree of self-sufficiency in solar energy buildings... read more
26 SEP 2023 Open data sets have great importance when analysing and optimising operation strategies for solar district heating plants A complete annual data set of monitoring results for a solar district heating plant is an important prerequisite for meaningful simulations of such systems... read more
12 SEP 2023 Tests of solar water heaters in China aim at improving standards More than a third of the newly installed collector area in 2021 globally was thermosiphon systems. They dominate sales in many Asian and Latin American... read more
24 AUG 2023 Carbon footprint assessment of various types of solar water heaters The Johannes Kepler University Linz (JKU) wants to support the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme with life cycle analysis of solar water heaters. read more
09 AUG 2023 Solar thermal achieves highest level of "real" climate neutrality The term “climate neutral” is omnipresent today. But there is no generally accepted official definition of climate neutrality. Instead there are three... read more
04 AUG 2023 Deep insights into solar market development on the global, national and sector-specific levels Solar Heat Worldwide 2023 reports mixed growth for solar thermal. While solar thermal markets grew, particularly in Europe, the global market was overshadowed... read more
31 JUL 2023 First IEA SHC Task 71 Workshop "How to determine ecological and economical heating and cooling solutions for a sustainable future" Register now for the first Task 71 Workshop with the topic: How to determine ecological and economical heating and cooling solutions for a sustainable... read more
26 JUL 2023 New Publications Online You won’t want to miss the new reports highlighted below. You can read them online or download them for free. Our complete library of publications – online... read more
26 JUL 2023 New LCA and LCoH Task Welcomes Participants & Collaboration As announced in the Solar Update Newsletter, Issue 76 (December 2022), IEA SHC Task 71 on Life Cycle and Cost Assessment for Heating and Cooling Technologies... read more
26 JUL 2023 New Conversion Factor for Concentrating Collector Statistics A factor of 0.7 kWth per square meter of aperture collector area for the conversion of area to power for statistics on concentrating collectors is an essential... read more
26 JUL 2023 Solar Cooling for Emerging Economies Our solar cooling work will continue! In June, the Executive Committee approved the development phase for a new Task on Solar Cooling for Emerging Economies. read more
26 JUL 2023 New Task Under Development: Using Radiation to Produce Hydrogen and Other Fuels The demand for “green” energy sources is on the rise! And as countries strive to decarbonize, hydrogen is emerging as an essential commodity. read more
26 JUL 2023 Task 62 Interview with Christoph Brunner The SHC Programme finalized its work on Solar Energy in Industrial Water and Wastewater Management (SHC Task 62) at the end of 2022. To learn first-hand... read more
26 JUL 2023 Solar Energy’s Potential for Water and Wastewater Treatment Within the industry’s transition to a circular economy, sustainable wastewater treatment and recovery should be reached without excessive strain on limited... read more
26 JUL 2023 Montmélian is Still as Sunny as Ever After a Decade The advantage of public action is that it allows projects to be implemented over the long term. This is precisely what the town of Montmélian (Ville de... read more
26 JUL 2023 European Solar Research Infrastructure for Concentrated Solar Power Begins Operation EU-SOLARIS ERIC, the European Solar Research Infrastructure for Concentrated Solar Power, held its constitutive meeting and first General Assembly on January... read more
26 JUL 2023 China’s Solar Thermal Market Shifting from Individual Installations to Large-scale Projects In 2021, the cumulative operation capacity of solar thermal systems in China reached 481.94 million square meters, accounting for 72.8% of the world’s... read more
26 JUL 2023 Lucio Mesquita of Canada Elected New SHC Executive Committee Chair Lucio Mesquita of Natural Resources Canada is a familiar face to many of us and a longtime Task participant starting with Task 25 on Solar-Assisted Air... read more
26 JUL 2023 Solar Heat Worldwide – 2023 Edition Now Online Our flagship report, Solar Heat Worldwide 2023 is the most comprehensive evaluation of solar heating and cooling markets with data from 71 countries. read more
25 JUL 2023 “Solar thermal is uniquely positioned to support low-carbon economies” Dr Lucio Mesquita from Natural Resources Canada will chair the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme (IEA SHC) for the next two years. He was elected... read more
20 JUL 2023 Cost reduction potential through prefabricated and standardized balance of plants Standardized, modular interfaces for the integration of solar heat into factories can reduce solar heat system costs significantly. read more
27 JUN 2023 Solar District Heating Info Package for Cities and Towns Among the 6,000 cities and towns in Europe with district heating, 266 already feed solar heat into their grid. For municipalities that plan to expand and... read more
09 JUN 2023 Innovations in the front-running solar district heating country Denmark The Danish solar district heating sector is a role model for the world. Researchers from IEA SHC Task 68 Efficient Solar District Heating met in the Danish... read more
07 JUN 2023 Spotlight on the South African solar thermal market Over the last decade the South African market has stagnated at around 140,000 m2 of newly installed collector area annually. read more
06 MAY 2023 Certification and labelling of new collector types GSCN and the Solergy label are continuing to grow together. More than a year ago, the Global Solar Certification Network and the Solar Heating Initiative,... read more
04 MAY 2023 IEA SHC recommends conversion factor 0.7 kWth/m2 for statistics on concentrating collectors The IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme (IEA SHC) recommends the factor of 0.7 kWth per square metre of aperture collector area for the conversion... read more
06 APR 2023 International seminar on solar and daylight planning in urban environments Within the framework of IEA SHC Task 63 Solar Neighborhood Planning, NTNU and Multiconsult, Norway, arranged an international seminar on solar and daylight... read more
24 MAR 2023 Paving the way for solar access in Sweden and Norway How can urban planners secure the right to light and the right to solar access when densifying urban areas? read more
06 MAR 2023 SDH info package to be presented during webinar in March Decarbonising the around 6,000 district heating networks in Europe is a challenging task in the next decade. read more
06 MAR 2023 Solar Academy Webinar in March offers insights into certification and labelling Do not miss out the 1st IEA SHC Solar Academy webinar 2023 about the Global Solar Certification Network and Solergy. read more
01 MAR 2023 Low-carbon and high-comfort integrated lighting Anyone interested in research in the field of efficient lighting in buildings will definitely come across Jan de Boer. He chairs the Lighting Technology... read more
01 MAR 2023 The Solar Decathlon Europe Report is now Available We published this week the SDE 21/22 competition source book (open access, online) with all results, project descriptions and a cross analysis Solar... read more
27 FEB 2023 Business and financing models – a clear distinction Non-technical barriers often play a critical role when it comes to increasing the number of solar cooling systems in the sunbelt countries. Business and... read more
06 FEB 2023 IEA SHC investigates cost reduction potential of solar district heating Transparency about costs makes claims more credible and helps energy modellers. For these reasons the IEA SHC Task 68 on Efficient Solar District Heating... read more
28 JAN 2023 Stability testing is needed to investigate the market readiness of compact thermal energy storage materials Stability is a key issue when evaluating new phase-change materials (PCMs) or thermochemical materials (TCMs) for thermal energy storage. A loss of stability... read more
17 JAN 2023 How planners use tools to assess solar potential in neighborhoods Digital tools play an increasingly important role in urban planning. Researchers from the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme have cooperated on solar... read more
05 JAN 2023 Solar Thermal Trends 2023 As 2022 comes to an end and 2023 begins, our team of SHC Task Managers wants to share trends they see coming in their fields of expertise.... read more
05 JAN 2023 Task 68: Fault-Detective – Fault Detection Based on Artificial Intelligence Good monitoring is essential to ensure the performance of solar thermal systems. Only then can solar al systems live up to their full... read more
05 JAN 2023 Task 65: Future Potential of Solar Cooling The energy demand for air-conditioning is growing faster than any other energy consumption in buildings.The main share of the projected growth for space... read more
05 JAN 2023 Solar Thermal Partners Heat Changers and the IEA SHC Programme understand the significance of Solar Heat in the push to reach a carbon-neutral world. With our new partnership,... read more
05 JAN 2023 Task 64: Tips and Tricks to Contract and Design a SHIP Project It can be a big challenge to contract and design a SHIP (Solar Heat for Industrial Processes) project. SHC Task 64 on Solar Process Heat is working... read more
05 JAN 2023 Inaugural ISES & IEA SHC EuroSun At the first jointly organized EuroSun between ISES and IEA SHC, having over 480 solar experts from more than 50 countries gather in Kassel,... read more
05 JAN 2023 2023 Kicks Off With Two New Projects Two new Tasks were approved at the December SHC Executive Committee Meeting. Both Tasks, one on lighting and the other on life cycle and cost assessment,... read more
05 JAN 2023 Solar Geysers Beat the Limescale Blues in Limpopo Families and members at Airforce Base Makhado in Limpopo are reaping the benefits of yet another energy efficiency project – this time, solar... read more
05 JAN 2023 Country Report: France in a Dynamic Solar Thermal Renewal The planets seem to be aligned once again for solar thermal in France. The solar thermal market is finally on the rise again, with 53,600 m2... read more
04 JAN 2023 ORVI Social Housing project wins IEA SHC 2022 Solar Award ORVI’s housing project provides a simple, affordable, sustainable solar water heating option for 58 locally built homes. read more
22 DEC 2022 Analysing 126 solar energy buildings across Europe The revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings directive tightens the energy standards for buildings across the European Union. The member states... read more
13 DEC 2022 Tips and tricks regarding design and success factors for SHIP It is generally a big challenge to contract and design solar industrial heat projects (SHIP). read more
07 DEC 2022 Solar district heating solutions providing higher temperatures A well-attended second meeting of the research group IEA SHC Task 68 Efficient Solar District Heating took place at the beginning of November. A total... read more
01 DEC 2022 Etango Magazine: SOLTRAIN funded ORVI Social Housing Project Wins IEA SHC 2022 Solar Award The Orange River Vineyards Investment (ORVI) social housing project in Aussenkehr, in southern Namibia, is the winner of the prestigious International... read more
29 OCT 2022 Life cycle assessment for solar thermal systems The IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme will start a cross-sectoral research group on life cycle and cost assessment (LCA). read more
26 OCT 2022 Optimised PVT and heat pump combinations for heating and cooling of buildings In combination with the Eurosun 2022 conference, the second IEA SHC Task 66 industry workshop entitled "Solar thermal and/or PVT combined with heat pumps... read more
23 OCT 2022 IEA SHC Solar Award winner: social housing project in Namibia The ORVI Social Housing Project in Namibia has won the IEA SHC 2022 Solar Award. Leonhard Eins, Managing Director of the Namibian company Solsquare Energy,... read more
19 OCT 2022 Future potential of solar cooling in the sunbelt region The energy demand for air-conditioning is growing faster than any other energy consumption in buildings. The main share of the projected growth for space... read more
14 OCT 2022 S-@ccess Conference - April 26-28, 2023 - Mallorca, Spain The SHC TCP is pleased to be a Supporting Organization of the 4th International Conference on Solar Technologies and Hybrid Mini-Grids to... read more
08 OCT 2022 Small carbon footprint of large solar field in France Green technologies also have a carbon footprint. Energy is used for raw materials, production, transport and operation. Life cycle assessment (LCA) for... read more
07 OCT 2022 EuroSun 2022: Renewables enable crisis-proof heat supply and energy security 480 solar experts from more than 50 countries gathered in Kassel from 25 to 29 September 2022 for Eurosun 2022 - the International Conference on Solar... read more
28 SEP 2022 Orange River Vineyard (ORVI) Social Housing project in Aussenkehr, Namibia wins 2022 SHC Solar Award. ORVI's housing provides a simple, affordable, sustainable solar water heating option with locally built homes. Ms. Helvi IIeka, Centre Head, Renewable... read more
15 SEP 2022 Heat pumps: Competition or complement in district heating? For decades, the Danish solar district heating sector has been a shining example for the world. And with the help of new heat pump-solar hybrid designs,... read more
03 SEP 2022 Eurosun 2022: Engaging keynotes by a unique mix of policy and research experts From 26 to 29 September, Kassel, Germany, will be the venue for the Eurosun 2022 conference. read more
02 SEP 2022 Solar Neighborhoods - Strategies and Application Case Studies The University of Calgary’s School of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape (SAPL) is inviting industry, policy makers, partners, faculty, students, and... read more
11 AUG 2022 Insights into global PVT market development The demand for PVT collectors has grown rapidly in the last two years. Annual sales of PVT capacity increased 57% to 167,165m2 in 2021, after growth of... read more
09 AUG 2022 Nominated projects for Solar Award described in Solar Update Newsletter The IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Program has nominated four outstanding projects from Australia, France, Namibia and South Africa aimed at reducing energy... read more
29 JUN 2022 Task 69 in the News IEA SHC initiative to increase quality and market volumes of smart solar hot water systems read more
20 JUN 2022 IEA SHC Solar Award 2022 Shortlist Four nominations are shortlisted for the International Energy Agency Solar Heating Programme (IEA SHC) 2022 SHC SOLAR AWARD. The Award will be presented... read more
20 JUN 2022 Solar Thermal Market Records Year of Growth The solar thermal market saw 3% growth in 2021 after seven years of decline. Noteworthy development was reported from some of the largest solar heat markets. read more
17 JUN 2022 Solar Award Recognizes Outstanding Solar Building Concepts Two very convincing and transferable solar integration concepts realized in Solar Decathlon Europe buildings received the Solar Award. read more
05 JUN 2022 16 Living Spaces for a Better World Solar Decathlon – the world's largest construction competition for universities – will open for visitors in mid-June in Wuppertal, Germany. read more
23 MAY 2022 Testing improved thermochemical heat storage in a real environment Source: AEE INTEC (Photo taken from the recording of the session) The session Emerging Heat and Cold Storages during the ISEC conference in April... read more
15 MAY 2022 IEA SHC initiative to increase quality and market volumes of smart solar hot water systems Providing reliable and long-lasting solar-driven hot water solutions for households – this is the main objective of the planned research platform called... read more
10 MAY 2022 Ammonia recovery to serve as fertilizer and energy fuel Production of ammonia as a fertilizer is a huge global industry with an enormous energy demand. The Austrian institute AEE INTEC has successfully operated... read more
04 MAY 2022 Certification and labelling: Experts answer questions from the industry Third-party quality control is key for consumers. Labelling of products supports customers in taking the right decisions. For solar collectors in Europe,... read more
14 APR 2022 How to get renewable energy to buildings in dense urban areas On 23 March 2022, the first industry workshop organised by IEA SHC Task 66 – Solar Energy Buildings showcased solar building ideas from different corners... read more
18 MAR 2022 Guidelines for wastewater treatment technologies in preparation Operating a water treatment plant is a complex task in itself. If you start thinking about using solar energy to drive certain separation or disinfection... read more
09 FEB 2022 EuroSun 2022 in Germany: Call for papers The University of Kassel, Germany, will host EuroSun 2022 between 25 and 29 September. The conference will be jointly organised by the International Solar... read more
09 FEB 2022 Support joint marketing efforts for solar district heating At a workshop set to take place on 4 and 5 April in Graz, Austria, the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme will launch a new research platform about... read more
14 JAN 2022 Global Solar Certification Network and Solar Heating Initiative join forces “Unite for solar heat” is the idea behind a new alliance forged between the Global Solar Certification Network and the Solar Heating Initiative. read more
12 JAN 2022 SHC Solar Award 2022 - Call for Nominations Open! The SHC Solar Award of the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme (IEA SHC) celebrates the success of those working to increase the market impact of solar... read more
12 JAN 2022 IEA SHC Award 2022 recognises outstanding social housing projects The IEA SHC Solar Award 2022 will recognise an organisation or individual that implemented a solar heating or cooling project in the last five years to... read more
10 JAN 2022 Training Workshop Explores Economic and Technical Aspects of Solar Cooling in Southern Africa The IEA SHC Solar Academy and SOLTRAIN (Southern African Solar Thermal Training and Demonstration Initiative) hosted with the support of SACREEE and SANEDI... read more
20 DEC 2021 Solar Process Heat Simulation Tools to Assess Yield Solar process heat system yields are simulated during feasibility studies and have a decisive influence on the profitability of the project investment.... read more
20 DEC 2021 Solar Academy Update: Training Workshop Explores Economic and Technical Aspects of Solar Cooling in Southern Africa The IEA SHC Solar Academy and SOLTRAIN (Southern African Solar Thermal Training and Demonstration Initiative) hosted with the support of SACREEE and... read more
20 DEC 2021 Interview: Renovating Historic Buildings Towards Zero Energy In November, the IEA SHC Programme finalized its work on Renovating Historic Buildings Towards Zero Energy (SHC Task 59/EBC Annex 76). To learn first-hand about... read more
20 DEC 2021 The Role of Solar in Switzerland’s Energy Transition Switzerland ratified the Paris Agreement on 6 October 2017, setting a commitment to reduce emissions 50% by 2030 from 1990 levels, with partial... read more
20 DEC 2021 Taking Solar Neighborhood Tools to the Classroom Solar neighborhoods are a piece in the puzzle in achieving net-zero energy districts and low-carbon cities. This is why the IEA SHC Task 63: Solar... read more
20 DEC 2021 INTERVIEW: Integrated Solutions for Daylighting and Electric Lighting The SHC Programme finalized its work on Integrated Solutions for Daylighting and Electric Lighting (SHC Task 61/EBC Annex 77) in November. To learn... read more
20 DEC 2021 The Real Climate Strikers Trade unions, which facilitate collaboration between employees to achieve strategic common employment-related goals, have a complex relationship with... read more
20 DEC 2021 Task 61 The Best From Both Worlds: Integrated Solutions For Daylight and Electric Lighting The IEA SHC Programme has worked on different lighting aspects over the years. The first SHC Tasks looked solely into the benefits of efficient daylight... read more
20 DEC 2021 Future Role of Solar Heat in the IEA’s Net Zero Roadmap In May, the International Energy Agency published the 224-page report, Net Zero by 2050: A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector, challenging policymakers... read more
05 DEC 2021 New tool provides over 150 solutions for historic building retrofits A new web application named HiBERtool helps practitioners find the perfect solution for the conservation of historic buildings. read more
30 NOV 2021 #EnergyEfficientLighting: Dynamic research group publishes 16 reports The success of highly energy-efficient lighting designs hinges on more than technological ingenuity. Other key make-or-break factors are smart control... read more
05 NOV 2021 Pathway to 100 % renewables: “Industry is a really hard-to-abate sector” The world is burning more fossil fuels than ever. We need deep structural change,” REN21 Executive Director Rana Adib warned attendees at a panel discussion... read more
04 NOV 2021 Standardised yield assessments for industrial solar heat plants The yield of solar process heat systems as simulated during feasibility studies has a decisive influence on the profitability of the respective investment.... read more
01 NOV 2021 Tackling the complexity of urban-level energy simulations A special “Fall School” for PhD and advanced master's students to enhance their knowledge of designing and implementing solar strategies in urban areas... read more
26 SEP 2021 China’s future role in the IEA SHC Programme The Chinese solar thermal market shows a varied picture of demand. While subsectors such as solar space heating are booming, total market volume continues... read more
20 SEP 2021 IEA SHC Solar Cooling Task: “We can make a difference” US project developer ergSol is a true pioneer. The company is not only putting up large commercial solar heat systems in California but also supports the... read more
10 SEP 2021 IEA SHC workshop to create 'Smart Solar Water Heating for 2030' research platform With 57 % of the total solar heating capacity in operation globally, thermosiphon systems top the list of the world’s most used solar thermal technologies.... read more
28 AUG 2021 SICA countries join IEA SHC with some flagship projects in their region In its current Solar Update Newsletter August 2021 the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme welcomes what is already the sixth Regional Sustainable... read more
10 AUG 2021 How SHIP can compete with heat produced from natural gas in Europe Many studies have shown the huge potential solar thermal has for clean heat production in industry. But so far, there have been comparatively few attempts... read more
08 AUG 2021 Germany’s solar heat success story in 2020 and beyond In 2020, the German market for solar heat grew by 26 % – more than any other major solar thermal market around the globe, according to the new Solar Heat... read more
07 AUG 2021 IEA SHC Welcomes SICREEE & Its Central America Members The Regional Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency of SICA (SICREEE) member countries are Belize, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador,... read more
07 AUG 2021 Our Sleeping Giant at a Crossroad – Which Way Will It Turn? Dr. Daniel Mugnier, the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Technology Collaboration Programme’s former Chair shares his thoughts on the future of... read more
07 AUG 2021 PV2heat in South Africa — Almost 12,000 Systems Installed Through the SOLTRAIN project, coordinated by AEE INTEC and funded by the Austrian Development Agency, the Center for Renewable and Sustainable Energy... read more
07 AUG 2021 Large-Scale Solar Thermal District Heating and Cooling: One on One with Sabine Putz The SHC Programme wrapped up its third project on large solar systems (Task 55) in December 2020. To learn how the Task impacted this market sector,... read more
07 AUG 2021 Integrating Large SHC Systems into District Heating and Cooling Networks Integrating large-scale solar thermal plants into district heating and cooling grids is playing a crucial role in many countries’ energy transformation... read more
07 AUG 2021 PVT Systems: One on One with Jean-Christophe Hadorn The SHC Programme completed its most recent work on PVT Systems (Task 60) in December 2020. To learn how this Task impacted this market sector,... read more
07 AUG 2021 PVT Systems: Heat or Electricity From Solar – Why Only One When You Can Have Both? A solar PV/Thermal (PVT) collector produces both heat and electricity thanks to a combination of a PV panel and a solar thermal collector or absorber.... read more
07 AUG 2021 Unexpected Solar Thermal Partnership Catalyzes Government Collaboration, Skills, Investment and Emissions Targets One of the roles of the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) is to facilitate and coordinate renewable energy and energy efficiency... read more
20 JUL 2021 Develop stable and reliable compact thermal energy storages The IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme has redoubled its efforts to develop and test compact thermal energy storage (CTES), saying the technology... read more
08 JUL 2021 Global PVT market on track for more growth PVT collectors – which use solar radiation to produce both heat and electricity – have been gaining in popularity in a rising number of markets around... read more
03 JUL 2021 Solar Heat Worldwide 2021 – a rich source of global, national and sector-specific data In 2020, Germany was the world’s leading solar district heating market, while China saw the largest increase in the number of industrial solar heat systems... read more
03 JUL 2021 Workflow stories describe use of solar neighbourhood planning tools Experts working on the Solar Neighborhood Planning project have created workflow stories to find out which tools urban planners use and what problems they... read more
28 JUN 2021 German university offers new tool to display factory heat loads To simplify the design of industrial solar heat systems in Europe, the German University of Kassel has developed an Excel tool that can be used to create... read more
24 JUN 2021 New chair for IEA SHC Programme on growth path The new Chair of the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme, also known as IEA SHC, is Tomas Olejniczak, an all-around energy transition and renewable... read more
22 JUN 2021 Greening the Heat Supply Solar Heat Worldwide 2021, with data from 68 countries, is the most comprehensive evaluation of solar heating and cooling markets. The 2021 edition plus... read more
26 MAY 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,... read more
20 MAY 2021 Europe holds top spot for SHIP incentives Spain has recently launched an investment grant scheme focused on industrial solar heat, joining an already long list of European countries – including... read more
10 MAY 2021 Australian PV Institute (APVI) Highlights SHC PVT Technology Position Paper Photovoltaic Thermal (PVT) can increase energy yield per square meter by extracting heat from PV panels, and diverting that energy into the building’s... read more
05 MAY 2021 SBE21 conference spotlights historic NZEBs The SBE21 Heritage conference in mid-April involved a deep exchange of ideas between researchers, architects and practitioners about how to reduce the... read more
02 MAY 2021 How to design an 85 % solar-heated and 100 % solar air-conditioned house During an online meeting from 1 to 2 July, the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling programme will launch a new global research platform called Task 66 Solar... read more
26 APR 2021 Survey: Multiple-benefits and priorities in Solar Neighborhoods What are the priorities in the planning of your neighborhoods and cities? You are invited to contribute to our research on Solar Neighborhoods. read more
24 APR 2021 Solar-heated multi-family buildings gain popularity in Germany Many new largely solar-heated houses in Germany are multi-family buildings, and their number is growing, according to Sonnenhaus-Institut (Solar House... read more
24 APR 2021 Solar houses: above 95 % solar fraction is possible Between 2014 and 2019, the Austrian Climate and Energy Fund supported the construction of over 100 solar-heated houses, 19 of which were monitored by the... read more
14 APR 2021 Water-energy nexus in wastewater management Solar-powered water treatment can significantly reduce industrial manufacturers’ water and energy footprints and turn municipal water treatment plants... read more
13 APR 2021 On-Site Registration available for SBE21 From the 14th to the 16th of April 2021, it will be possible to register “on-site”. The “on-site” day-by-day registration... read more
29 MAR 2021 SHC Technology Position Paper: Building Integrated Solar Envelope Systems for HVAC and Lighting The quest to decarbonize society's electrical and thermal systems has never been more urgent. In this Technology Position Paper, experts of IEA SHC Task... read more
26 MAR 2021 Improving the efficiency of Solar District Heating (SDH) Since the end of IEA SHC Task 55 – Large Solar District Heating and Cooling Systems last December, there have been multiple calls for continuing the work... read more
28 FEB 2021 PV-Thermal: Major markets and most sought-after technologies IEA SHC Task 60, Application of PVT Collectors, shows how a fruitful collaboration between industry and research can lead to a thorough analysis of current... read more
25 FEB 2021 SBE keynote speakers announced Get inspired by SBE21 Heritage Keynote Speakers Dr. Ege Yildirim and Prof. Harald Garrecht. read more
24 FEB 2021 Strategies to promote solar envelopes In the last four years, the multidisciplinary IEA SHC Task 56 research group worked intensively on strategies to increase the market penetration of solar... read more
08 FEB 2021 ISES and IEA SHC partner up to host Solar World Congress 2021 In 2021, the Solar World Congress will continue as an online event offering a wide variety of digital networking opportunities. Originally, SWC 2021 was... read more
28 JAN 2021 Using solar energy to recover acids and metals from wastewater An IEA SHC research group led by Dr Joachim Koschikowski, of Fraunhofer ISE, has created a matrix depicting thermal separation methods for industrial wastewater... read more
15 JAN 2021 SHC Technology Position Paper: PVT Collectors and Systems The quest to decarbonize society's electrical and thermal systems has never been more urgent. In this Technology Position Paper, experts of IEA SHC Task... read more
14 JAN 2021 Trigeneration with PVT ? here is a nice example from Spain This Spanish plant is based on solar hybrid PVT collectors integrated with a reversible heat pump (vapour-compression unit) for heating, cooling, electricity... read more
13 JAN 2021 Task 60 highlights 2020 is available in the publications section of the Task60 website The "Task highlights" is the summary of work achieved during 2020. read more
21 DEC 2020 Assessing lighting quality in commercial buildings How effective are integrated daylighting and electric lighting solutions in raising comfort and saving energy? To answer this question, a group of researchers... read more
17 DEC 2020 Surface synergies and conflicts in smart cities Surface area is an important but limited resource in cities that aim to become climate neutral. It can be used to, for example, generate heat or electricity... read more
16 DEC 2020 Heat Load Profiles – A Key for Unlocking Renewable Heating Systems Potential In the context of IEA SHC Task 64: Solar Process Heat, researchers developed a method to estimate the heat load profiles of companies in industry... read more
16 DEC 2020 Lighting Solutions with People in Mind The collaborative project, SHC Task 61 / EBC Annex 77 on Integrated Solutions for Daylight and Electric Lighting: From Component to User Centered... read more
16 DEC 2020 IEA SHC & IEA ECES Collaboration Makes Advances in Thermal Energy Storage Thermal energy storage is key for integrating renewable heat sources into an energy system --from domestic applications to district heating and from... read more
16 DEC 2020 Material and Component Development for Thermal Energy Storage The IEA SHC Programme concluded its joint project with the IEA Energy Conservation through Energy Storage (ECES) Programme on Material and Component... read more
01 DEC 2020 Hybrid solutions are key to decarbonising industry Industrial solar heat will be a key element of any strategy to decarbonise the industrial sector. A mid-November workshop organised by partners to the... read more
22 NOV 2020 Technical and market assessment of solar cooling in the Caribbean IEA SHC Solar Academy’s first online training sessions on solar heating and cooling in the Caribbean have been well received by those attending the event. read more
20 NOV 2020 Fact sheets TASK 55 available TASK 55 ends soon! Currently the fact sheets are in finalization. There are already some fact sheets downloadable. read more
14 NOV 2020 Solar thermal cooling reduces the strain on the power grid Global IEA Solar Heating and Cooling research platform Task 65, called Solar Cooling for the Sunbelt Regions, aims to provide countries in Africa, Asia... read more
06 NOV 2020 Online workshop about solar-powered industrial water management Using solar energy to decontaminate and disinfect industrial water could save both GHG emissions and water. To this end, the Water Solar Treatment research... read more
04 NOV 2020 TrustEE standardises project assessment and financing Any company that wants to be successful in selling industrial solar heat solutions to end users and investors needs standardised project assessment and... read more
27 OCT 2020 Improved design for giga-size pit heat storage Denmark’s cost-effective, tried-and-true seasonal pit heat storage concept needs to be modified if it is to be implemented across Europe, since district... read more
30 SEP 2020 Four years of global SDH research summarised in online workshop and factsheets On Thursday, 15 October 2020, an online technology transfer workshop about large solar district heating networks will provide attendees with the perfect... read more
20 SEP 2020 Thermal storage for flexible sector integration In his keynote speech at Eurosun 2020, Dr Andreas Hauer talked about the different roles that heat storage could play as part of a whole systems approach... read more
07 SEP 2020 Strong European research network meets at Eurosun Yesterday marked the start of the first virtual Eurosun. More than 200 experts from the worlds of research and business had signed up for the three-day... read more
27 AUG 2020 Little support for PV-thermal despite high yields PVT applications do not receive nearly as much support as solar thermal or PV systems do. Incentive schemes especially often do not include funding for... read more
27 JUL 2020 Region with high solar ambitions joins IEA SHC One of the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme’s new sponsors is SACREEE, the Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, set up by the Southern... read more
16 JUL 2020 New Solar Cooling Project The new project, Task 65: Solar Cooling for the Sunbelt Regions, builds upon our past four solar cooling Tasks. This Task will be different in that it... read more
16 JUL 2020 Solar Energy in Industrial Water and Wastewater Management The change to a sustainable, resource- and energy-efficient industry represents a major challenge in the coming years. The efficient supply of energy,... read more
16 JUL 2020 Building Integrated Solar Envelopes: Current Status and Actions Needed The objective of our Task on Building Integrated Solar Envelope Systems for HVAC and Lighting was to answer how solar envelope systems can become common... read more
13 JUL 2020 Digital lighting controls improve user satisfaction Designing energy-efficient lighting for offices and public buildings requires a deep understanding of user requirements. read more
11 JUL 2020 Export champions from Greece offer good value for money The Greek solar thermal industry is an export champion: The total collector area sold to customers abroad tripled from 200,000 m2 to 600,000 m2 in only... read more
10 JUL 2020 Solar cooling concepts for hot climates The just started international research platform Solar Cooling for the Sunbelt region is very popular among research institutions, manufacturers and consultancies... read more
02 JUL 2020 Fact sheets show 30 operational PV-thermal systems PV-thermal installations are extremely versatile systems, and their manufacturers can cater to a wide variety of customers, single- and multi-family building... read more
24 JUN 2020 Success factors in top SDH countries In the last decade, Denmark, China, Germany and Austria played a leading role in the deployment of large solar thermal systems around the world. What country-specific... read more
19 JUN 2020 SBE Heritage conference calls for papers The SBE conference’s 2021 edition will be held under the title SBE Heritage in Bolzano, Italy, between 14 and 16 April 2021. read more
18 JUN 2020 Optimising life-cycle costs in the construction industry A facade to capture solar energy is a particularly appealing option if a solar thermal system is to be integrated into an office or a multi-family building,... read more
11 JUN 2020 SWC/SHC 2019 Proceedings now available We are pleased to announce that the proceedings of the SWC/SHC 2019 are now available online. read more
03 JUN 2020 Round robins improve TCM testing Thermochemical storage materials (TCMs) offer much higher storage capacities by mass or volume than sensible or latent heat storage and can store heat... read more
03 JUN 2020 FINAL SHC Task 55 Expert Meeting - Online Meeting - October 13 - 15 The meeting will be held as a pure virtual/online meeting via ZOOM. Registered participants will receive the ZOOM link in the week before the start of... read more
29 MAY 2020 Product Gallery is ready Visit our gallery and click on the images to access information on the single technologies. read more
21 MAY 2020 Lessons learned from first IEA SHC online meetings “It worked very, very well and we saved a lot of emissions,” said one of the participants in the two-day online workshop organised by research platform... read more
19 MAY 2020 Call for Proposals: SBE21 Heritage The conference will be dedicated to the sustainable improvement of the built heritage, a research area that has grown significantly over the last 10 years... read more
30 APR 2020 Hybrid solutions maximise solar yield per area A record 840 people registered for the PVT solutions for buildings and industry webinar in order to learn more about the wide range of applications in... read more
24 APR 2020 Compact heat battery with virtually no heat loss A compact thermochemical seasonal storage system put up at a demonstration site in Warsaw, Poland, is working as expected. The prototype, developed and... read more
02 MAR 2020 How to reduce energy consumption in historic buildings? Historic buildings make up 30 % of the European building stock and account for more than a third of the total energy consumption in the residential sector... read more
20 FEB 2020 Solar Energy Buildings to make cities fit for the future Buildings account for around 40 % of the world’s primary energy consumption. Hence, they are the number one cause of resource consumption on earth. read more
10 FEB 2020 Using solar steam to clean wastewater Manufacturers have begun looking for solutions to lower the cost of wastewater disposal. One way for them to reduce the volume of contaminated water is... read more
29 JAN 2020 March 25 2020 - A SHC ISES webinar on PVT systems ! Task 60 experts will give a Webinar on PVT on March 2020 on internet. Exact time and how to attend will be communicated as soon as possible. Check also... read more
29 JAN 2020 A solar PVT DHW system studied in DK The performance of the system was assessed using selected key performance indicators. A parametric analysis was performed identifying component sizes that... read more
20 JAN 2020 UK Training Workshop on Renewable Heat for Heat Networks Held in December In December, Triple Point Heat Networks Investment Management, in collaboration with the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling TCP, hosted a workshop in the UK... read more
08 JAN 2020 Compact thermal energy storage: research in cycles Research into compact thermal energy storage is made difficult by the fact that the performance of storage materials depends significantly on their intended... read more
07 JAN 2020 Solar World Congress 2019 Water and energy are the most important resources globally. The term ‘water-energy nexus’ underlines their close connection, and the phrase has become... read more
28 DEC 2019 In search of cost-effective, advanced PCMs Salt hydrates are the most interesting phase change material in the low-temperature range of up to 150 °C. Their volume-related enthalpy at melting is... read more
20 DEC 2019 Solar World Congress : A keynote speech on PVT by Korbinian Kramer On Nov. 4 2019 in Santiago de Chile at the Solar World congress and also SHC 2019 conference, Korbinian our Subtask B leader, gave a talk on PVT. This... read more
01 DEC 2019 Andreas Häberle: First large projects tap the potential of solar industrial heat Electricity is dominating the international discussion about the decarbonisation of the energy sector. In reality, only one-third of our energy demand... read more
01 DEC 2019 Final IEA SHC Task 55 Expert Meeting FINAL Task 55 Expert Meeting: October 13th to15th, 2020 will probably take place in Graz, Austria. We are looking forward to welcome you in Graz in October... read more
27 NOV 2019 Touring exhibition shows retrofits in 11 historic buildings In October, Vienna became the first venue for the new touring exhibition Historic Buildings Energy Retrofit Atlas. At the European Congress on the Use,... read more
10 NOV 2019 IEA SHC Solar Award 2019: French company, KYOTHERM wins for solar thermal third-party ESCO financing KYOTHERM of France wins the International Energy Agency Solar Heating Programme (IEA SHC) SOLAR AWARD. KYOTHERM’s third-party ESCO solution creates a commercial... read more
07 NOV 2019 IEA SHC Solar Award 2019 KYOTHERM of France wins the International Energy Agency Solar Heating Programme (IEA SHC) SOLAR AWARD. KYOTHERM’s third-party ESCO solution creates a commercial... read more
30 OCT 2019 IEA SHC Solar Academy: Material and Component Development for Thermal Energy Storage - November 27, 2019 The International Solar Energy Society is hosting the next webinar in the IEA SHC Solar Academy's 2019 webinar series on Task 58 - Material and Component... read more
30 OCT 2019 Encouraging faster materials development for compact storage Research and industry experts in thermochemical storage materials are invited to participate in a workshop that will take place on 11 and 12 November in... read more
30 SEP 2019 Global support for solar cooling in sunbelt regions Transferring knowledge and solar cooling technology to sunbelt countries in Africa, on the Mediterranean coast and in Asia will be the main aim of a new... read more
19 SEP 2019 Solar planning experts meet in France Between 22 and 24 October, the University of Savoie Mont Blanc in Le Bourget-du-Lac, France, will be the venue for the first meeting about research platform... read more
19 SEP 2019 Webinar: How to use facades to generate solar energy Sept. 3, 2019, SolarThermalWorld.org, by Bärbel Epp read more
13 SEP 2019 Solar District Heating Infographics Available for Download Task 55 has developed eleven infographics to illustrate SDH technologies, advantages and market developments. The files are available as jpgs and pdfs... read more
31 AUG 2019 Best practice examples of urban solar projects exceed expectations Researchers working for the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling programme have created a list of urban solar heat projects that not only met but exceeded the... read more
14 AUG 2019 Publication: Impact of climate change on indoor environment of historic libraries in Mediterranean climate zone NZEB Project Partners at the Izmir Institute of Technology have recently had an article published in the International Journal of Global Warming. It describes... read more
09 AUG 2019 Appropriate refurbishment of traditional buildings Historic Environment Scotland have agreed a partnership with the UK Government’s Energy Saving Trust (EST) in Edinburgh to assist in the dissemination... read more
09 AUG 2019 Collaboration on advising landowners and farms on energy efficient upgrades to traditional rural cottages in Scotland Historic Environment Scotland are working with Scottish Land and Estates (SLE) to advise landowners and farms on how to upgrade traditional rural cottages... read more
02 AUG 2019 SHC solar award: Six successful business models The focus of this year’s Solar Award of the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme (IEA SHC) will be on technology suppliers and financial service providers... read more
12 JUL 2019 Reducing energy consumption in historic buildings A meeting in mid-April, Copenhagen, Denmark, gave members of IEA SHC research platform Renovating Historic Buildings Towards Zero Energy (Task 59) the... read more
12 JUL 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... read more
01 JUL 2019 Konferenz: Die Sonnenhülle zwischen Veränderung und Koexistenz im Gleichgewicht der Orte With the support of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) / Bundesam fuer Energie (BFE) and EnergieSchweiz, as well as cooperation with the magazine... read more
28 JUN 2019 Regional Sustainable Energy Centres join IEA SHC The UNIDO-coordinated Regional Sustainable Energy Centres will become sponsor members of the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling programme, a decision made by... read more
27 JUN 2019 7th IEA SHC Task55 Expert Meeting The 7th IEA SHC Task55 Expert Meeting is taking place Task 55 Expert Meeting: October 7th/8th 2019 District heating industry workshop: October... read more
24 JUN 2019 PV-Thermal collector area tops 1 million PV-Thermal systems, which generate heat and electricity from the same collector, are gaining ever more traction: For the first time, they have now been... read more
17 JUN 2019 Read the Latest Edition - Solar Heat Worldwide 2019 The solar heating and cooling markets show a reversing trend. The majority of the largest markets outside of China saw demand increase for the first time... read more
14 JUN 2019 Cost of PVT: how to calculate ? A LCOH method to calcule the cost of energy from PVT systems read more
04 JUN 2019 Solar heat for desalination and metal recovery Small desalination systems could help fight water scarcity, recover precious metals from industrial water, and treat wastewater from food processing so... read more
03 JUN 2019 Go-to-market strategies for industrial solar heat Within the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme, preparations have been made to establish a new international research platform focusing on nearly market-ready... read more
03 JUN 2019 Seasonal pit heat storage: Cost benchmark of 30 EUR/m3 Denmark has had a steep – but successful – learning curve with regard to the cost and efficiency of seasonal pit heat storage, which is used to store sunlight... read more
03 JUN 2019 German Energy consultants recommend solar thermal The solar thermal industry cannot complain about a lack of enthusiasm among energy consultants: When asked in a survey by Task 54 of the IEA Solar Heating... read more
03 JUN 2019 Solar Cooling at Intersolar 2019 his year’s Intersolar Europe, which took place in Munich, featured a conference session titled Solar, the new cool? Among the speakers at this solar cooling... read more
14 MAY 2019 Task60 has held a webinar on PVT certification in March 2019 In this webinar, moderator Andreas Häberle (SHC Task 60 Subtask D) welcomes Andreas Bohren (Solar Keymark), Laetitia Brottier (DualSun), Shawn Martin... read more
13 MAY 2019 SWOT analysis of building-integrated solar systems April 17, 2019, SolarThermalWorld.org, by Barbel Epp read more
17 APR 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... read more
15 APR 2019 2nd Expert Meeting of IEA SHC Task 62 in Almería The 2nd expert meeting of our IEA SHC Task 62 took place from 2nd to 3rd of April in Almería, Spain. Almost 30 experts from all over Europe jonit the... read more
29 MAR 2019 A PVT installation in Spain The solar PVT industry participation from several countries in Task 60 is to be noticed. In Spain a 80-PVT solar hybrid installation located... read more
27 MAR 2019 International Solar Energy Society (ISES) Webinar March 21st 2019 Thank you again very much for participating in last weeks webinar, we had great feedback from the attendees and I think it went very well. The... read more
22 FEB 2019 The market requires simple plug-and-play solutions Spanish-based supplier Endef is seeing increased demand for both its covered and uncovered PV-thermal systems produced in-house in Saragossa. Last year... read more
15 FEB 2019 Solar Award Nominations are Open The Solar Heating and Cooling Award of the IEA SHC Programme celebrates the success of those working to increase the market impact of this renewable energy... read more
14 FEB 2019 Testing collector durability in China How well will evacuated tube collectors made in China hold up after prolonged exposure to sunlight? The answer to this question can be found in a new report,... read more
20 JAN 2019 A top scientific paper from Maria Herrando and al. on PVT collector optimal design The paper is published in Science Direct: Herrando M, Ramos A, Zabalza I, Markides CN. A comprehensive assessment of alternative absorber-exchanger designs... read more
06 JAN 2019 SHC 2019: Call for papers open until February 28 In 2019, the International Conference on Solar Heating and Cooling for Buildings and Industry (SHC) will again take place together with the ISES Solar... read more
04 JAN 2019 Solar air-conditioning training for energy professionals Around 40 attendees from Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe benefitted from a three-day training course on Solar Cooling... read more
31 DEC 2018 Quality and certification can push solar markets That a wider use of quality standards in the solar thermal sector would be increased internationalisation and cost saving for manufacturers was the conclusion... read more
20 DEC 2018 IEA SHC supports historic buildings expert network The 3rd International Conference on Energy Efficiency in Historic Buildings (EEHB 2018), which took place in Sweden in September, proved to be the perfect... read more
12 DEC 2018 PVT in South Africa A new project in Cape Town featuring a PVT solution! www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/15-on-oranges-pvt-energy-system-now-fully-operational-2018-12-11/rep_id:4136See read more
06 DEC 2018 What simulation tools to use for SHIP? As use of solar heat in manufacturing is still at an early stage, planners and engineers require tools to model and compare differently sized systems and... read more
06 DEC 2018 IEA SHC Task 62 presented at 84th ExCo Meeting in Lisbon On November 13-15, the 84th ExCo Meeting was held at LNEG in Lisbon, Portugal. Christoph Brunner, Operating Agent of Task 62, presented the ongoing... read more
27 NOV 2018 Sun meets 90% of district heat demand in Tibet On 29 and 30 October, the Solar Academy of the IEA SHC Programme held a 1.5-day training course on solar district heating in Lianyungang, at Sunrain Solar... read more
18 NOV 2018 PVT and seasonal storage: innovative technologies in Spain Local production of PVT panels and systems which achieve high solar fractions by using seasonal storage: This is the main objective of Spanish start-up... read more
05 NOV 2018 Israeli firm offers large variety of PVT systems Homes, hospitals, hotels, industrial facilities and greenhouses (see photo): These are some of the many uses for turnkey PV systems produced by Millennium... read more
26 OCT 2018 Quality principles for solar air conditioning systems The latest generation of solar air conditioning systems comes in a vast variety of configurations. As shown in the diagram above, their source of energy... read more
23 OCT 2018 Online database on advanced PCMs Compared to water, phase change materials (PCMs) offer more capacity to store heat in tanks. As a consequence, researchers in all corners of the world... read more
12 OCT 2018 Future Meetings & Events Check here for a list of upcoming Task Meetings & Other events yet to be scheduled. read more
10 OCT 2018 Excellent material for sorption-based solar energy storage Microporous hydrophilic substances such as zeolites are recognised as promising materials for very efficient energy storage. Solar thermal systems are... read more
04 OCT 2018 Task 53 Holds Workshop at ISEC Conference On October 3, 2018, participants from IEA SHC Task 53 held a workshop called the Solar Cooling Austrian Workshop in Graz, Austria in conjuction with the... read more
03 OCT 2018 Artur Bobovnický Presentation to IEA's TCP National Coordination Day Artur Bobovnický, our ExCo member from Slovakia, shared why our work is important and the value of participating in the SHC TCP with the Czech audience... read more
14 SEP 2018 New at IEA SHC: Solar neighbourhood planning Case study reporting by research platform Solar Energy in Urban Planning has recently concluded with the publication of an interactive map showing 34 case... read more
08 SEP 2018 Producing hot water underneath natural slates A state-of-the-art solar thermal system has been installed under the slate roof of a castle in Ghent, Belgium. Roll-bonded Thermoslate absorbers measuring... read more
25 AUG 2018 New standard to improve energy performance of historic buildings Maintaining the exterior of a historic building while raising energy efficiency is not necessarily a contradiction. The new EN 16883:2017 standard, Conservation... read more
31 JUL 2018 IEA SHC Task 54 - Final Experts Meeting 19-20 Sep 2018 We're looking forward to our final experts meeting from 19-20 Sep 2018 in Oslo, Norway. More info will be provided on our events section soon. read more
16 JUL 2018 Combining the strengths of collector technologies Task 55 of the IEA SHC Programme is currently studying the benefits of systems equipped with both flat plate and parabolic trough collectors to supply... read more
12 JUL 2018 Solar district heating potential of small towns in Europe Most small European towns connected to a district heating network have enough land available for a solar field to meet 20 % of heat demand. In all, 93... read more
09 JUL 2018 Water-Energy Nexus in Industrial Sector Water and energy are the most important resources globally. The term ‘water-energy nexus’ was coined to underline their close connection, and the phrase... read more
29 JUN 2018 Daniel Mugnier Is New IEA SHC Chairman The new chair of the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme, also known as IEA SHC, will be Daniel Mugnier, a leading expert in solar cooling. Mugnier,... read more
13 JUN 2018 ISES Webinar on Solar Thermal markets and PVT June 12, 2018 see the recording of the 3 presentations and the discussion read more
06 JUN 2018 PVT increasingly used for net zero energy buildings A rising number of manufacturers and suppliers in Europe are offering combined photovoltaic and solar thermal systems, also known as PVT units. This was... read more
06 JUN 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... read more
05 JUN 2018 Hot off the press - Solar Heat Worldwide 2018 With 472 gigawatt thermal (GWth) installed at the end of 2017, solar heating and cooling was again the largest solar sector worldwide followed by Photovoltaics... read more
04 JUN 2018 IEA SHC TASK 55: Trends in April 2018 The 4th Task 55 Expert Meeting, the SHD DHC Joined Workshop and lates project results are highlihted within the latest Task 55 Trends Statement. read more
15 MAY 2018 Q&As from Task 54's Solar Academy webinar available now Questions asked by the participants, answered by Task 54 experts. read more
02 MAY 2018 Building-Integrated Solar Envelopes:Barriers to Deployment Active and passive solar systems integrated into building envelopes are key to combatting climate change. However, there are many barriers which confine... read more
21 APR 2018 Sweden: Pioneer of solar district heating When it comes to district heating, Sweden has made the switch from fossil fuels to biomass and waste heat (see chart). As early as 2015, biomass provided... read more
09 APR 2018 How to Turn Historic Structures into Nearly Zero Energy Buildings More than one-fourth of all residential buildings in Europe date from before 1945. Over the past decade, preservationists have taken to the idea of renovating... read more
05 APR 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... read more
28 MAR 2018 Solar Cooling Workshop to be held in Conjunction with Task 53 Experts Meeting One day after the final Task meeting the Solar Cooling Workshop hosted by ILK Dresden will present some major results of Task 53 to the public. read more
22 MAR 2018 International Seminar on the Status of PVT Systems The seminar on the current status of PVT collectors and systems, took place in Freiburg on May 16th prior to the first experts´ meeting of IEA SHC Task... read more
02 MAR 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. read more
02 MAR 2018 Solar cooling increases annual solar fraction Solar cooling could be an effective way to increase the annual solar fraction of domestic hot water production and prevent the solar system from overheating... read more
13 FEB 2018 Daylight and electric lighting: new research initiative The IEA Solar Heating & Cooling Programme has approved Task 61, a new research initiative concentrating on integrated daylight and electric lighting solutions.... read more
10 FEB 2018 SHC Industry Roadmap for Australia Despite Australia’s high levels of solar irradiation and rising energy costs, its solar heating and cooling market has been in decline each year since... read more
07 FEB 2018 IEA SHC Solar Academy: Price Reduction of Solar Thermal Systems IEA SHC Solar Academy Webinar on Price Reduction of Solar Thermal Systems on March 14, 2018, 15:00 - 16:30 read more
01 FEB 2018 IEA SHC Task 52: District Heating Shows Lower Total Socio-Economic Cost in Future Energy System What would the economic impact on a future energy system be if one were to unlock the full solar thermal potential in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Italy? read more
18 JAN 2018 Global certification saves money and time To enter new markets, solar thermal collector manufacturers need to have their products tested and certified as meeting local standards. Thanks to GSCN,... read more
21 DEC 2017 French PVT market is picking up The IEA’s Solar Heating and Cooling Programme will create its own international research platform on PVT systems in January 2018. Researchers and industry... read more
18 DEC 2017 How to approach green construction in the tropical zone While nearly zero energy projects in Europe focus on reducing heat demand, green buildings in tropical Singapore require lower cooling loads. To study... read more
11 DEC 2017 SHC / SWC 2017: Twelve Experts Highlight Success Stories on Tape The 12 video interviews that solarthermalworld.org recorded at the joint conference outlined trends in today's global solar heating and cooling sector... read more
07 DEC 2017 SHC 2017: Largest experts’ meeting on integrated solar heating and cooling NEWS at Solarthermalworld.org: 500 experts from more than 50 countries attended the 5th International Conference on Solar Heating and Cooling... read more
27 NOV 2017 IEA SHC Task 54: Solar Thermal Cost Reductions The objective of IEA SHC Task 54 is to reduce the purchase price of solar thermal systems by up to 40 % across the entire value chain. To achieve this,... read more
08 NOV 2017 Abu Dhabi’s SHC 2017 Conference: Largest experts’ meeting on integrated solar heating and cooling 500 experts from more than 50 countries attended the 5th International Conference on Solar Heating and Cooling (SHC) in Abu Dhabi, UAE, from 30 October... read more
04 NOV 2017 IEA SHC Solar Award 2017 – Austria’s Climate and Energy Fund wins for large-scale solar thermal plant subsidy program Abu Dhabi, UAE, 3 November 2017. The Climate and Energy Fund of Austria wins the International Energy Agency Solar Heating Programme (IEA SHC) SHC SOLAR... read more
03 NOV 2017 LCOH for Reference Systems published Check out the Info Sheets developed by participants in Task 54. read more
24 OCT 2017 Sweden’s Solar Heat Market on Hold The IEA Solar Heating and Cooling (SHC) programme has recently updated its country report on Sweden’s solar thermal industry, pointing out the increasing... read more
17 OCT 2017 SHC Solar Award: Five Finalists with Successful Support Policies Administrators of successful solar thermal support schemes are in the focus of this year’s Solar Award of the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme (IEA... read more
08 OCT 2017 IEA SHC Task 56: Cooperation on Energy Balance and Building Design Tools Facades of residential and tertiary buildings offer enough space for daylight control and HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) systems. Active... read more
05 OCT 2017 Cooperation on Energy Balance and Building Design Tools Article by B. Epp on SolarThermalWorld.org. read more
04 OCT 2017 IEA SHC Task 52: Solar Thermal’s Role in 2050 Energy Mix What role solar thermal will play in the energy sector in 2050 is one of the principal questions that the international Task 52 research project Solar... read more
29 SEP 2017 IEA SHC: Most Effective Solar Cooling Storage Technologies Scientists from IEA SHC Task 53, New Generation Solar Cooling & Heating Systems, have compared the cost, efficiency and adaptability of solar cooling storage... read more
26 SEP 2017 IEA SHC Solar Academy: Solar Planning in Times of Rapid City Growth Urban planning is a highly complex issue, especially if it involves low-carbon living solutions and environmental regulations. The main objective of the... read more
13 SEP 2017 IEA SHC Task 51: Challenges in Urban Planner Education Cities and large municipalities all around the world have taken the lead in sustainability, and urban planners find themselves in the important position... read more
13 SEP 2017 French Independent Heat Supplier: “Optimise and de-risk all contracts” French-based NewHeat is a rapidly growing start-up. About two years after it was founded in December 2015, management has raised almost EUR 1.8 million... read more
05 SEP 2017 IEA SHC: New Task to Use Solar Energy for Water Treatment On 18 September, there will be a definition meeting for a new task called Solar Energy in Industrial Water Management in Gleisdorf, Austria. The initiator... read more
24 JUL 2017 IEA SHC: Free Pre-Sizing Tool for Solar Heating and Cooling In 2015, Task 48 – Quality Assurance & Support Measures for Solar Cooling – came to an end. One of the activities of this IEA Solar Heating & Cooling Programme... read more
18 JUL 2017 We will need new and innovate designs for heat and mass exchangers Thermochemical materials (TCMs) used in storage tanks show higher heat capacities than water and smaller losses over time. They are crucial to an increase... read more
07 JUL 2017 3rd Meeting of the IEA-SHC Task 55 "Towards the Integration of Large SHC Systems into DHC Networks" The 3rd SHC Task 55 Expert Meeting will be organized along the Solar World Congress 2017 in Abu Dhabi, UAE, which takes place from the 29th of October... read more
06 JUL 2017 The Second Solar Academy Webinar on Solar Heating for Industrial Processes Held The second Solar Academy Webinar on Solar Heating for Industrial Processes was held July 6, 2017 with presentation from Christoph Brunner, Pedro Horta... read more
13 JUN 2017 Cost reduction workshop in Linz, Austria on 04 October 2017 In October 2017, Task 54 presents its first results during a public dissemination workshop and industry round table in Linz, Austria. Both events are linked... read more
13 JUN 2017 Installation Questionnaire Launched Task 54 launched a questionnaire on the installation effort to make cost structures more transparent and to help us understand current obstacles for the... read more
13 JUN 2017 Towards a Solar System Without Electronic Controllers: Conico Valves presents the first one-way valve for heat flow. Conico Valves presents the first one-way valve for heat flow. read more
07 JUN 2017 Release of a MATLAB Toolbox to calculate pressure loss coefficients (zeta values) for T-pieces at low Reynolds numbers One of the key aspects in the design of large solar thermal plants is the hydraulic layout of the collectors and collector arrays. This recently released... read more
26 MAY 2017 Successful Task 54 Workshop in Brussels on 25 May 2016 The first IEA SHC Task 54 workshop was held in the framework of the ESTTP workshop "Solar Thermal Energy for Europe" (24-25 May 2016) in Brussels, Belgium. read more
24 MAY 2017 IEA SHC 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 MWth of newly installed SDH capacity in Denmark... read more
22 MAY 2017 IEA SHC Task 54: Investigating Cost Factors Along the Value Chain Researchers have worked intensively for one-and-a-half years across national borders to find ways of reducing the costs of solar thermal systems and making... read more
21 MAY 2017 IEA SHC: New Task to Push Emerging PVT Industry Inventors and start-ups have been trying to combine photovoltaic and solar thermal collectors into one product for many years. Finally, a new industry... read more
16 MAY 2017 Netherlands: Solar Thermal Benefits from SDE+ Solar Heat Tariff The need for highly competitive designs meant that solar thermal had not had much of a chance within the SDE+ programme until the end of 2015. Most of... read more
09 MAY 2017 Thirty Net Zero Energy Buildings in One Book The joint SHC Task 40 / EBC Annex 52 project Towards Net Zero Energy Solar Buildings has been one of the largest of the Technology Collaboration Programmes... read more
12 APR 2017 TWITTER: Task 55 News Task 55 is now on Twitter! Follow the latest Task 55 News HERE. read more
13 MAR 2017 IEA SHC Task 53: Innovative Solar Cooling Systems The biggest challenge for a small market like the solar cooling one – which has still a long way to go – is how to reduce system costs. One way to achieve... read more
20 FEB 2017 Task 53 7th Experts Meeting scheduled for April 19-20 in Messina, Italy The 7th Experts Meeting for IEA SHC Task 53 will be held April 19-20, 2017 in Messina, Italy. read more
30 JAN 2017 2017 SHC Solar Award -- Call for Nominations The SHC Solar Award of the IEA SHC Programme celebrates the work of those committed to increasing the expansion of this renewable energy source. read more
21 DEC 2016 IEA SHC: New PVT System Enhancement Research After seven years, the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme (IEA SHC) is planning to launch another international research cooperation on PVT technology.... read more
15 DEC 2016 National Dissemination Workshop on Polymeric Collectors National Dissemination Workshop on polymeric collectors on 31 January 2017 in Ingolstadt, Germany. read more
29 NOV 2016 Facade-integrated HVAC components pose a Challenge for all parties involved The integration of solar facade solutions into the HVAC and lighting system of a building can only be successful if it is coordinated with architects and... read more
29 NOV 2016 Qatar: Gulf Region’s Sustainability Experts Meet IEA’s Solar Heating and Cooling Specialists About 400 industry stakeholders met in the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Doha in early November to attend the first Green Expo Forum organised by the Gulf Organisation... read more
29 NOV 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... read more
23 NOV 2016 Facade-integrated HVAC components pose a Challenge for all parties involved Read the article by B. Epp on SolarThermalWorld.org. read more
10 NOV 2016 Cost Study in Switzerland: Solar Thermal Systems Cost Almost Twice as Much as in Austria The Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) has published a study on end customer prices for solar thermal systems in Switzerland. read more
07 NOV 2016 SHC TASK 55 Kick-Off Meeting in Graz, Austria: About 25 Experts joined the Event 19th - 21st of October 2016: International experts on large scale solar thermal systems, district heating, heat pumps, control strategies, or systems operations... read more
07 NOV 2016 SHC Task 55 at the Green Expo Forum 2016 - Video is now available! The Green Expo Forum 2016 in Doha, Qatar, is a platform for practitioners, experts, regulators and researchers, to discuss various topics on sustainability... read more
04 NOV 2016 IEA SHC Task 46: Bankable Solar Data Sets for Concentrating Technologies Whether investors put their money into large-scale concentrating solar heat and power systems, solar district heating plants or photovoltaic fields, they... read more
24 OCT 2016 IEA SHC Task 50: Lighting Industry Explores Contracting Solutions LED technology has greatly changed the face of the lighting market: In just a few years, lighting systems have become twice as efficient and half as expensive. read more
24 OCT 2016 IEA SHC Task 51: German Summer School Educates Students on Solar Urban Planning The summer school called City in Transition (Stadt im Wandel) ended with a public presentation of the project designs from four student groups on Monday,... read more
20 OCT 2016 Save the Date: SHC 2017 Conference together with ISES Solar World Congress 2017 - October 29 - November 2 The IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme and the International Solar Energy Society, ISES are very pleased to announce that their next international... read more
20 OCT 2016 IEA SHC: Attractive Solar Solutions for Urban and Landscape Planning How can urban planners be convinced to consider solar energy technologies in municipality projects? This is the key challenge faced by the international... read more
20 OCT 2016 TASK 45 / 55: Guidelines on How to Design Seasonal Storage Seasonal storage is a key component in the transformation of today’s energy industry. Besides storing energy in summer for heating in winter, it can also... read more
20 OCT 2016 District heating: “The industry is very optimistic about its future prospects” District heating has a long history in Scandinavia: The international symposium on district heating was launched there in 1987. In the meantime, the technology... read more
28 SEP 2016 2nd Experts Meeting at Darmstadt Technical University 23 experts from 16 partner organisations joined the meeting in Darmstadt, on 13 and 14 September, followed by excursions to "ETA Factory - The energy efficient... read more
16 SEP 2016 Launch of Questionnaire on Installation Questionnaire on installation of solar thermal systems now available in German, English and French. read more
09 SEP 2016 Task 54 now on Twitter Task 54 is now on Twitter. You can find us via @IEA_SHC_Task54. Tell us what you think about our goals and join the network. read more
09 SEP 2016 IEA SHC: Cost Reduction Analysis Workshops at German University of Stuttgart http://www.solarthermalworld.org/content/iea-shc-cost-reduction-analysis-workshops-german-university-stuttgart read more
08 AUG 2016 SHC 2015 Proceedings Now Online The SHC 2015 Conference Proceedings are now online. You can view the papers here: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/18766102/91 read more
27 JUL 2016 Slovakia: Newest Member Country of IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme Slovakia is the first country from Eastern Europe to join the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme (IEA SHC). read more
26 JUL 2016 KOST / TEWISOL Information Day, 5 October 2016 ITW Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 10, 70569 Stuttgart, 5 October 2016, 12:00 - 16:00 read more
26 JUL 2016 Solar Thermal Costs Published in Solar Heat World Wide 2016 Webinar: Global View on Solar Heating and Cooling Market online read more
26 JUL 2016 3rd Task 54 Experts Meeting in Stuttgart, Germany Join the 3rd Task 54 Experts Meeting in Stuttgart, 6-7 October 2016. read more
15 JUL 2016 Task 56 Partners session at Advanced Building Skins conference Five presentations from Task 56 partners will be given in Session D1 "Façade Integrated HVAC components" at the 11th Conference on Advanced Building Skins,... read more
06 JUL 2016 China: Challenges and Opportunities of World’s Largest Solar Thermal Market Reduced real estate investment has been the key reason for the strong decline of China’s solar thermal market. In 2015, the collector area installed annua read more
06 JUL 2016 German Energy Transformation Scenarios: Solar Thermal As Optional, Not Mandatory Technology for Least Cost Solutions How much will the transformation of the German energy industry cost if it is to reach greenhouse gas emissions reductions of at least 80 % by 2050? read more
29 JUN 2016 ISO 9806 is being revised ISO 9806 is being revised with approval expected before end of 2016. read more
21 JUN 2016 IEA SHC Publishes 2016 Edition of its Seminal Report -- Solar Heat Worldwide The International Energy Agency, Solar Heating and Cooling Programme (IEA SHC) released the 2016 edition of its report on the global status of the solar... read more
09 JUN 2016 IEA SHC Solar Award – Brau Union Austria wins for putting the sun in beer The Green Brewery Göss wins the International Energy Agency Solar Heating Programme (IEA SHC) SHC SOLAR AWARD. Brewery Göss has taken the path-breaking... read more
31 MAY 2016 Levelised Cost of Heat and the Calculations behind It The main objective of IEA SHC Task 52, Solar Thermal in Energy Supply Systems in Urban Environments, is to call attention to both the technical and economic... read more
26 MAY 2016 Austria: Award-Winning Energy Service Company Publishes ESCO Model Fact Sheets Energy Service Companies (ESCO) have become pioneers in the development of financing and operating models for various energy sector customers. Every two... read more
16 MAY 2016 International Solar Energy Society Joins IEA SHC The IEA SHC Programme welcomes the International Solar Energy Society (ISES) as its newest Sponsor member. read more
16 MAY 2016 IEA SHC: Industry Workshop in Spain Shows Solar Cooling’s Global Opportunities The latest R&D developments in solar cooling presented during a workshop in Madrid, Spain, on 11 April sparked great interest among the attendees from... read more
16 MAY 2016 IEA SHC: Task 56 Kick-Off Meeting on Building Integrated Solar Almost 30 experts from 25 partner organisations met in Bolzano, Italy, on 21 and 22 March for the kick-off meeting of IEA SHC Task 56, Building Integrated... read more
16 MAY 2016 IEA SHC TASK 51: “Integrate Energy Perspectives into Spatial Planning of Urban Areas” During COP21 in Paris last December, 1,000 mayors and local leaders pledged themselves to a 100 % renewable future of their municipalities by 2050. read more
12 MAY 2016 Harmonizing Hashtags in Your Posts Three major solar heating and cooling institutions – the European Solar Thermal Industry Federation (ESTIF), the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme... read more
12 APR 2016 2nd experts meeting takes place in Florence, Italy from 3-4 May 2016 For more information, please see our events page. read more
05 APR 2016 Postponed: SHC Task 54 Workshop in Brussels, Belgium NEW DATE: May 25th, 12:30 - 14:00, Brussels, Belgium Due to the recent events in Brussels the Organizing Committee of the ESTTP decided to postpone... read more
03 APR 2016 Successful start of Task 56 Summary of the meeting and interview with the Operating Agent at Solarthermalworld.org. read more
29 MAR 2016 4th Meeting in the Global Solar Certification Network The 4th Meeting of the Global Solar Certification Network was held in Berlin in March 2016. The revised Working Rules for the Global Solar Certification... read more
29 MAR 2016 First Task 57 Experts meeting held in Berlin March 2016. The First Task 57 Experts Meeting was held on March 10-11, 2016 in Berlin, Germany. read more
04 MAR 2016 SHC2015: “Participants were very confident about the future of solar thermal” Yesilata was the scientific chair of the international solar thermal conference SHC2015, which took place in Istanbul at the beginning of December 2015.... read more
04 MAR 2016 Solar Process Heat: "It all depends on the conventional heating equipment" Dr Bastian Schmitt can look back at more than ten years of experience in the field of solar process heat. As part of his doctoral thesis, the mechanical... read more
22 FEB 2016 ISES Joins SHC as a New Sponsor Member The International Solar Energy Society (ISES) has joined the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme as a Sponsor member with Dr. David Renne as the ExCo... read more
19 FEB 2016 Germany: One Week, Three Global Solar Certification and Standardisation Meetings in Berlin Between 8 and 11 March, Berlin will be the venue of choice for standard and certification experts from all corners of the globe. read more
18 FEB 2016 Task Definition Workshop: Compact Thermal Energy Storage Task Definition Meeting for the new IEA SHC and ECES joint Task/Annex Compact THermal Energy Storage will be held in Graz, Austria, on April 6-8, 2016. read more
04 FEB 2016 Solar Heating & Cooling Technology News & Trends The International Conference on Solar Heating and Cooling for Buildings and Industry, SHC 2015, in Istanbul brought together 233 researchers, industry... read more
22 JAN 2016 Austria: Optimising of Large-scale Collector Fields One key aspect of the energy and cost optimisation of large-scale collector fields (called arrays in this news) is collector array hydraulics. Optimal... read more
22 JAN 2016 Solar Cooling: Results Diagram Directs Stakeholders to Content of Interest The best solar research results are of little use if they are not distributed and known to stakeholders from the industry, planning departments or public... read more
11 JAN 2016 Press Release: Solar Cooling Research at Your Fingertips The best solar research results are of little use if they don't reach the intended users. To make this link easier, IEA SHC's project on Quality Assurance... read more
02 DEC 2015 IEA SHC Task 54: 2nd Experts Meeting will take place in Florence, Italy on May 3-4, 2016 See Task 54 for more information. read more
08 NOV 2015 IEA SHC Task 51: Urban Planners Know Little about Solar Energy Potential During IEA SHC Task 51, Solar Energy in Urban Planning, the project partners evaluated the legal, process and education issues of solar in urban planning... read more
12 OCT 2015 The Ins & Outs of Integrating Solar Heat into Industrial Processes October 13, 2015. Solar Heat for Industrial Processes (SHIP) is an important, upcoming market for solar thermal. To support the growth of this technology... read more
05 OCT 2015 IEA SHC Task 49: Solar Process Heat Showcase in Montpellier Industry participation is key for the research work of IEA’s Solar Heating and Cooling Programme. Hence, the researchers of Task 49, Solar Heat Integration... read more
03 OCT 2015 IEA SHC Task 42: Latent Heat Storage Has Huge Potential in the Long Run In their position paper published in August 2015, the scientists of IEA SHC Task 42 (Compact Thermal Energy Storage) summed up the key results of their... read more
01 OCT 2015 Solar Cooling 2.0: New Generation Growing Up The workshop New Generation Solar Cooling & Heating Systems held in Rome, Italy, on 23 September 2015 was the opportunity to check the status of both research... read more
03 SEP 2015 IEA SHC: 20 Country Profile Analyze Market and Industry Development The country portraits deliver a comprehensive view on the market, including latest sales volumes, an analysis of major market drivers and barriers, a view... read more
02 SEP 2015 Solar and Heat Pump Systems for Residential Buildings The combination of heat pumps and solar components is a recent development and has great potential for improving the energy efficiency of house and hot... read more
02 SEP 2015 IEA SHC: Attractive Solar Process Heat Markets The most comprehensive online database of solar process heat projects is the website www.ship-plants.info. The database was set up within Task 49 Solar... read more
26 AUG 2015 Press Release: IEA SHC Position Paper on Net Zero Energy Buildings now online Buildings are responsible for 40% of global primary energy use and 24% of global greenhouse gas emissions. And for this reason, architects and builders... read more
04 AUG 2015 IEA SHC: Mutual Recognition of Test and Inspection Reports Saves Industry Costs The work of the Global Solar Certification Network (GSC-NW) is expected to continue within the framework of the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme... read more
03 AUG 2015 Position Paper: Actions Needed to Pave Way for Net Zero Energy Buildings Whether newly built or retrofitted, whether office building or single-family home - all types of premises can become NetZEBs. Still, the position paper... read more
16 JUL 2015 SHC Posts New Position Paper on Polymeric Materials for Solar Thermal Applications The IEA SHC Position Paper on Polymeric Materials for Solar Thermal Applications is now online. This position paper describes the current state of the... read more
16 JUN 2015 Solar Cooling Week: Sector Still Growing in Asia and Europe Solar thermal cooling is a “small, but steadily growing market,” Dr Uli Jakob from the Green Chiller Association for Sorption Cooling pointed out in his... read more
16 JUN 2015 IEA SHC Task 52: Seeking Cost-Optimised Urban Energy Systems It should come as no surprise that Denmark with its large and standardised systems has the lowest costs per installed m2 of collector area. Specific costs... read more
11 JUN 2015 SHC 2014 Conference Proceedings Available Online Energy Procedia has published our SHC 2014 conference proceedings. Download for free over 90 papers. read more
04 JUN 2015 IEA SHC Solar Heat Worldwide - 2015 Edition! Annual collector yield of all systems in operation by the end of 2013 was 314 TWh (= 1,129 PJ). This equals an energy savings equivalent of 33.7 million... read more
28 MAY 2015 SHC 2014 Annual Report is Now Online I’m happy to report that the SHC 2014 Annual Report is now available online. Please have a look. The Feature Article is on Non-Residential Solar Building... read more
27 MAY 2015 Task 39: 33 New Info Sheets Posted Task 39 has posted 33 new Info Sheets dealing with polymeric materials for solar collectors and solar storage. Check them out. read more
26 MAY 2015 SHC Book Series IEA SHC Programme is collaborating with Wiley to publish a book series on a diverse array of solar heating and cooling topics. Order books here. read more
26 MAY 2015 IEA SHC Partnering with ISO TC 180 Solar Energy This liaison creates a clear path for IEA SHC results to be implemented in ISO standards. “Measuring the solar resources available for solar applications... read more
26 MAY 2015 Collection of Solar Energy and Architecture Case Studies A free online database of 50 projects from 11 countries highlights how active and passive solar can decrease energy demand and enhance a building's architectural... read more
22 MAY 2015 Industrial Workshop SHIP, France - 15 September 2015 The SHIP day is intended to industrial, production, energy and sustainability managers within the process industries (agro food, paper, chemistry, textile,... read more
18 MAY 2015 Solar Update May 2015 Now Online The latest issue of the IEA SHC Programme’s newsletter, Solar Update is now online. This issue has articles covering a variety to topics ranging from the... read more
25 MAR 2015 Solar Cooling Week in Shanghai This is an exciting week -- Task 48 experts are holding their final Experts Meeting and Task 53 experts have an Experts Meeting. Immediately following... read more
26 FEB 2015 New deliverables published The Delivarables B1 (Methodologies and Software Tools for Integrating Solar Heat into Industrial Processes) and B2 (Integration Guideline) are now available read more
23 DEC 2014 Collection of Solar Energy and Architecture Case Studies A free online database of 50 projects from 11 countries highlights how active and passive solar can decrease energy demand ... read more
17 NOV 2014 Task 47 Seminar in Beijing - Presentations Now Online The purpose of the seminar was to present the main outcomes of SHC task 47. Lectures from the four Task 47 subtasks were given and the presentations can... read more
29 OCT 2014 Solar Update October 2014 Now Online The latest issue of the IEA SHC Programme’s newsletter, Solar Update is now online. This issue has articles covering a variety to topics ranging from... read more
17 OCT 2014 First results of questionnaire about methods & tools used for lighting retrofit The online questionnaire, which was developed to analyze workflows and needs in practical retrofitting processes was closed end of June 2014 and its evaluation... read more
14 OCT 2014 International Award to Pioneering French Solar Municipality 13 October 2014, Beijing. The International Energy Agency Solar Heating Programme (IEA SHC) presented its 2014 SHC SOLAR AWARD to the City of Montmélian,... read more
03 SEP 2014 New Solar Cooling Book Published New books on solar cooling demonstrate how solar cooling technology is being applied and highlights results from the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme’s... read more
25 AUG 2014 2014 Video Competition for Solar Thermal Researchers Solarthermalworld.org’s second video competition for solar thermal researchers (supported by ESTIF and EUREC Agency) is underway, which is a great opportunity... read more
22 JUL 2014 Industry Workshop on Solar Process Heat Technology Workshop on Solar Process Heat for Industry read more
08 JUL 2014 Press Release: Solar Heating Saves Over 79 Million Tons of CO2 Annually Gleisdorf, Austria 8 July 2014. The International Energy Agency, Solar Heating and Cooling Programme (IEA SHC) released their latest statistics on worldwide... read more
10 JUN 2014 IEA SHC Programme Elects Australian Ken Guthrie as Chairman 10 June 2014. Australian sustainable energy expert, Ken Guthrie, has been elected Chair of the Executive Committee of the International Energy Agency’s... read more
15 APR 2014 Task 47 Symposium Presentation are Now Online The presentations from the Task 47 Seminar - Renovation of Non-Residential Buildings towards Sustainable Standards are now online. read more
18 MAR 2014 Public task 47 Symposium in Frankfurt 3.April 2014 3. April 2014 at Messe Frankfurt, Hall 4.2, Room "Dimensions" Ludwig-Erhard-Anlage 1. The symposium is organized in connection with the... read more
28 FEB 2014 Workshop: Energy Supply for Intensified Processes Exchange views on the effect of intensifed processes on industrial energy supply read more
10 FEB 2014 Questionnaire about methods & tools used for lighting retrofit of buildings In order to analyze workflows and needs in practical retrofitting processes, an online questionnaire was developed. read more
06 FEB 2014 Solar Update February 2014 Now Online The latest issue of the IEA SHC Programme’s newsletter, Solar Update is now online. This issue has articles covering a variety to topics ranging from... read more
01 FEB 2014 World’s Largest Solar District Heating Plant Begins Operation in February Dronninglund Solar District Heating Plant in Denmark is now established: 37,000 m² collectors (26 MWth) and 60,000 m3 seasonal storage. read more
01 FEB 2014 Questionnaire on Methods & Tools Used for Lighting Retrofit of Buildings As a way to analyze the workflows and needs in practical retrofitting processes, a questionnaire has been created in a web-based survey system. read more
22 OCT 2013 Largest solar thermal plant is a SHIP application 39,300 m² solar thermal plant in Chile read more
22 OCT 2013 New SHIP application at Goesser brewery, Austria A 1,470 m² solar thermal collector field provides hot water for the mashing process in the brewery Goess, Austria. The mashing process has been changed... read more
26 SEP 2013 Press Release: SHC 2013 ends on a high note: Solar heating and cooling has big role to play in buildings and industry SHC 2013, the 2nd International Conference on Solar Heating and Cooling for Buildings and Industry ended today in Freiburg, Germany. read more
23 SEP 2013 Press Release: SHC SOLAR AWARD 2013 to Drake Landing Company – 52 homes heated with 98% solar 24 September 2013. The IEA Solar Heating Programme (IEA SHC) has presented its 2013 SHC SOLAR AWARD to the Drake Landing Company from Canada, comprised... read more
22 SEP 2013 Press Release: SHC 2013 opens: Solar Heating and Cooling takes centre stage at international conference in Freiburg, Germany SHC 2013, the 2nd International Conference on Solar Heating and Cooling for Buildings and Industry opens today in Freiburg, Germany. read more
18 SEP 2013 Press Release: Fraunhofer ISE Showcases Product Innovations at Exhibition An exhibition taking place in front of the Congress Center Concert Hall in Freiburg between September 23 and 25 unveils how solar collectors manufactured... read more
04 SEP 2013 Press Release: Australian Solar Cooling Standard Published Standards Australia has published the world’s first Solar Cooling standard. The standard “Solar heating and cooling systems – Calculation of energy consumption”... read more
03 SEP 2013 Press Release: Workshop on Heat Rejection for Solar Cooling Systems – Bad Krozingen, Germany 27 Sept 2013 3 September 2013. Solar cooling experts of the IEA SHC project "Quality Assurance and Support Measures for Solar Cooling (Task 48)" share their experience... read more
15 JUL 2013 Press Release: Solar Thermal Energy Week in Germany’s Black Forest This September, Germany’s Black Forest will be the top spot for solar thermal experts from all around the world... read more
26 JUN 2013 IREC, Catalonia Institute for Energy Research Job Announcements IREC, Catalonia Institute for Energy Research, based in Barcelona is currently seeking applicants to join the Thermal Energy and Building Performance Group. read more
09 JUN 2013 Task 48 5th Experts Meeting Registration Now Online You can now register for the Task 48 5th Experts Meeting to be held September 30-October 1, 2013 in Freiberg, Germany. read more
30 MAY 2013 International Conference TOWARDS NET ZERO ENERGY BUILDINGS Aalborg University Copenhagen Denmark April 30 2013 Presentations from the International Conference TOWARDS NET ZERO ENERGY BUILDINGS are now available on-line. read more
28 MAY 2013 A Review of Market-Available Solar Thermal Heat Pump Systems Task 44 has just published their report on Market-Available Solar Thermal Heat Pump Systems. read more
19 APR 2013 Research and development positions open in Thermal Energy Storage The CICenergigune, R&D institute in Spain, has several positions open for PhD, Post-Doc, and group leader in Thermal Energy Storage. Also, candidates for... read more
12 APR 2013 Task 47 Seminar Presentations Online Task 47 held a seminar on April 5, 2013 in Sydney, Australia. The presentations for that semianr are now online. read more
27 MAR 2013 Solar Award Nominations Due April 1 Don't miss the deadline to submit your nominations for the 2013 Solar Award. read more
19 MAR 2013 12 April 2013: Australian Solar Cooling 2013 Conference 15 March 2013. The Australian Solar Cooling Interest Group (ausSCIG) supported by the Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Airconditioning and Heating... read more
14 FEB 2013 SHC Solar Award 2013 - Call for Nomination For over 30 years, the International Energy Agency’s Solar Heating & Cooling (SHC) Programme has worked to expand the use of solar energy for heating and... read more
11 FEB 2013 Task 42 9th Experts Meetings Scheduled The next Task 42/29 Experts Meeting will take place from 15 to 17 April 2013 in Freiburg, Germany. read more
27 NOV 2012 Strengthening Solar Heat for Industrial Processes -- IEA SHC Launches New Research Project May 24, 2012 read more
27 NOV 2012 Solar Cooling / Solar Assisted Heat Pumps: Update on R&D in these two fields thanks to the IEA SHC Programme - Full Press Package October 10, 2011 read more
27 NOV 2012 Presentations of solar cooling session at Intersolar Europe now available for download July 5, 2012 read more
27 NOV 2012 Momentum in solar cooling growing: Large industrial corporations entering the field July 5, 2012 read more
27 NOV 2012 Presentations from Task45 1st Expert Meeting April 5-6, 2011 - Barcelona, Spain read more
27 NOV 2012 Task 44 / Annex 38 Newsletter June 2012 Task 44 / Annex 38 Newsletter June 2012 read more
27 NOV 2012 Job: Researcher Responsible for Laboratory Activities Institute for Renewable Energy Apply by December 15, 2012 read more
26 NOV 2012 Task 39 Handbook is Available Now! Polymeric Materials for Solar Thermal Applications - October 2012 Order Now read more