19th - 21st of October 2016: International experts on large scale solar thermal systems, district heating, heat pumps, control strategies, or systems operations participated in the Task 55 Kick-Off Meeting in Graz. The experts discussed major Task projects, contributions, and cooperation for the next four-years working period.
18 institutions and 9 industry partner from countries such as Germany, China, Denmark, Canada, Finland, Austrua, or Spain were represented and analyzed the current situation and future potential of solar thermal district heating and cooling systems on the world market. Additionally, the technical and economic options for the integration of the systems into district heating and cooling networks were discussed. The event provided several sessions across three days to build a strong international network. On the 3rd day, participants had the chance to go on a technical tour to the solar thermal large scale plant at Fernheizwerk Graz (7,750m² collector area). The meeting finalized with an intensive workshop held by Fraunhofer ISE on the assessment of different collector types for large scale installations.
The next SHC Task 55 Meeting will take place from the 14th- 16th of March 2017 in Denmark.
For more information on the IEA SHC Task 55, please contact the Operating Agent Sabine Putz: s.putz@solid.at