Projects

In the aim to reach the goal to develop a market for solar thermal systems for process heat are potential studies, development of mid temperature collectors for the generation of process heat up to 250°C and technical solutions to the integration of solar heat for industrial process being worked on. Furthermore are in the framework of this international cooperation together with the solar industry, demonstration projects realised and process data are gathered and evaluated. The quick know-how transfer is carried out by a yearly industrial newsletter and the performance of symposiums.

Around 150 million square meters of solar thermal collectors, corresponding to an installed capacity of 105 GW_th, were installed by the year 2004 worldwide. Until now, the widespread use of solar thermal plants has focused almost exclusively on swimming pools, domestic hot water preparation and space heating in the residential sector.

The use of solar energy in commercial and industrial companies is currently insignificant compared to the use in swimming pools and the household sector. Most solar applications for industrial processes have been used on a relatively small scale and are mostly experimental in nature. Only a few large systems are in use worldwide. However, if one compares the energy consumption of the industrial, transportation, household and service sectors in OECD countries, the industrial sector has the highest energy consumption at approximately 30%, followed closely by the transportation and household sectors.

The major share of the energy, which is needed in commercial and industrial companies for production processes and for heating production halls, is below 250°C. The low temperature level (< 80°C) complies with the temperature level that can easily be reached using solar thermal collectors already on the market. The principles of operation of the components and systems apply directly to industrial process heat applications. The unique features of these applications lie on the scale on which they are used, system configurations, controls needed to meet industrial requirements, and the integration of the solar energy supply system with the auxiliary energy source and the industrial process. For applications where temperatures up to 250°C are needed, the experiences are rather limited and suitable components and systems are missing. Therefore, for these applications the development of high performance solar collectors and system components is needed.

To be able to make use of the huge potential for solar heat in industry and to open a new market sector for the solar thermal industry, SHC Task 33 is going to carry out potential studies, it will investigate the most promising applications and industrial sectors for solar heat, and it will optimize, develop and test solar collectors for medium temperature applications (up to approximately 250°C). The development of integral solutions for solar thermal energy applications for given industrial processes (based on the “PINCH-concept”) is also one of the main topics of this Task. In additions, the development of design tools (based on TRNSYS simulations) and a software tool for fast feasibility assessment, economic analyses as well as the design and the erection of pilot plants in co-operation with industry are planned.

Scope of the Task

The scope of the Task is on solar thermal technologies for converting the solar radiation into heat, (i.e., starting with the solar radiation reaching the collector and ending with the hot air, water or steam transferred to the application.) The distribution system, the production process and/or the optimization of the production process are not the main topics of the Task. However, influences on the production process and the distribution system arising from the solar character of the heat source will be studied in the framework of the Task.

Applications, systems and technologies, which are included in the scope of this task, are:

• All industrial processes where heat up to a temperature level of approx. 250°C is needed.
• Space heating of production or other industry halls is addressed, but not space heating of dwellings.
• Solar thermal systems using air, water, low pressure steam or oil as a heat carrier, i.e. not limited to a certain heat transfer medium in the solar loop.
• All types of solar thermal collectors for an operating temperature level up to 250°C are addressed: uncovered collectors, flat-plate collectors, improved flat-plate collectors - for example hermetically sealed collectors with inert gas fillings, evacuated tube collectors with and without reflectors, CPC collectors, MaReCos (Maximum Reflector Collectors), parabolic trough collectors.

To accomplish the objectives of the Task, the Participants are carrying out research and devel­opment in the framework of the following four Subtasks:

§ Subtask A: Solar Process Heat Survey and Dissemination of Task Results
(Lead Country: Spain)

§ Subtask B: Investigation of Industrial Energy Systems
(Lead Country: Austria)

§ Subtask C: Collectors and Components
(Lead Country: Germany)

§ Subtask D: System Integration and Demonstration
(Lead Country: Germany)

Collaboration with other IEA Programmes

Due to the complementary background and know-how of the participants of the SHC and the SolarPACES Programmes, significant synergies were expected from collaboration. Therefore, it was agreed to co-operate with the SolarPACES Program on a “moderate level” according to the SHC “Guidelines for Co-ordination with other Programs.”

Operating Agent: Werner Weiss, AEE INTEC

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Project management:

• Dipl.-Päd. Ing. Werner Weiss

Progress:

finished

Project partner:

JOINTS – Joanneum Research – Institut für Nachhaltige Systeme Österreich
S.O.L.I.D., Graz, Österreich
Solution Solartechnik GmbH Kirchdorf an der Krems, Österreich
Institut für Ressourcenschonende und Nachhaltige Systeme, Technische Universität Graz, Österreich

Publications:

• IEA Task 33 Homepage