Task News

IEA SHC Task 68: 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 SunPeek, which met with great interest at the recent IEA SHC Solar Academy webinar in November. The open-source software automates the performance assessment of collector fields in operation by comparing target and measured power output. SunPeek is available free of charge for scientific and commercial use.
Posted: 2024-12-13

IEA SHC Task 69: "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.
Posted: 2024-11-30

IEA SHC Task 63: 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 energies and correctly managing passive solar gains and daylight, but also for greening and cooling the neighborhood.
Posted: 2024-11-16

IEA SHC Task 66: 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 Buildings have analysed 150 such buildings and identified and listed the new and innovative elements.
Posted: 2024-11-11

IEA SHC Task 68: 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, Advanced Control and Open Data.  Click to find out more information and to register.
Posted: 2024-11-01

IEA SHC Task 65: 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 demand growth will be for air conditioning. Solar thermal cooling systems have two major advantages.
Posted: 2024-09-26

IEA SHC Task 63: 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.
Posted: 2024-09-23

IEA SHC Task 71: 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.
Posted: 2024-09-18

IEA SHC Task 69: 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 together to discuss the reliability and durability issues that thermosyphon systems face when installed in the global south like southern Africa, China, and other regions (i.e., stagnation/over-temperature events, high irradiance levels, lack of supply water,
Posted: 2024-09-16

IEA SHC Task 66: 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!
Posted: 2024-09-16

IEA SHC Task 68: 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 and Cooling Programme titled Solar Collector Technologies for District Heating analyses and compares stationary and tracking collector types in terms of geometry, efficiency and costs.
Posted: 2024-08-28

IEA SHC Task 63: 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.
Posted: 2024-08-16

IEA SHC Task 65: 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.
Posted: 2024-08-09

IEA SHC Task 63: 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 Task 63 Manager, Maria Wall of Lund University, to share her thoughts on this 4-year project.
Posted: 2024-08-09

IEA SHC Task 63: 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, stakeholder and citizen engagement, solar planning tools, including examples of real case studies from the 10 participating countries. This article highlights the main topics and some of the results.
Posted: 2024-08-07

IEA SHC Task 60: 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 leading countries are France, Germany and the Netherlands.
Posted: 2024-06-21

IEA SHC Task 67: 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 temperatures is desirable.
Posted: 2024-05-27

IEA SHC Task 63: 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 during the planning process to avoid conflicts.
Posted: 2024-05-16

IEA SHC Task 68: “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.
Posted: 2024-04-30

IEA SHC Task 66: 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?
Posted: 2024-04-09

IEA SHC Task 71: 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.
Posted: 2024-03-17

IEA SHC Task 72: Energy carriers from solar-powered reactors
In future, a lot of green hydrogen will be needed in industry as an energy carrier.
Posted: 2024-02-25

IEA SHC Task 68: 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 pumps into solar district heating systems with and without seasonal storage.
Posted: 2024-02-25

IEA SHC Task 70: 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 European Union.
Posted: 2024-01-25

IEA SHC Task 65: 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.
Posted: 2024-01-23

IEA SHC Task 69: 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 Session on PV water heating systems.
Posted: 2024-01-19

IEA SHC Task 64: Task 64 Releases New Technology Position Paper
The latest Technology Position Paper is on Solar Heat for Industrial Processes (SHIP).
Posted: 2024-01-19

IEA SHC Task 67: 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 procedures to test their stability, heat capacity etc.
Posted: 2023-12-29

IEA SHC Task 63: 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 in the journal Building and Environment. Maria Wall, the Task Manager of IEA SHC Task 63 on Solar Neighborhood Planning, spearheaded this initiative.
Posted: 2023-12-22

IEA SHC Task 64: 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.
Posted: 2023-12-22

IEA SHC Task 65: 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 buildings. The main share of the projected growth in energy use for air conditioning comes from emerging economies.
Posted: 2023-12-22

IEA SHC Task 70: 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, harvesting the "low hanging fruits" and managing daylight. With lighting being responsible for about 15% of electricity consumption and about 5% of global CO2 emissions, it needs to be brought up to date with climate protection, energy sovereignty, and economic efficiency while ensuring user comfort at the same time.
Posted: 2023-12-22

IEA SHC Task 66: 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 some of the high-solar fraction buildings in this collection.
Posted: 2023-12-22

IEA SHC Task 64: 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 2023 was exactly on time. The investor and plant operator Engie España had to put the plant into operation before the end of September in order to receive the extensive subsidy of EUR 13...
Posted: 2023-11-08

IEA SHC Task 65: 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.
Posted: 2023-11-06

IEA SHC Task 66: 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 and blocks.
Posted: 2023-10-06

IEA SHC Task 68: 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 and for developing of monitoring algorithms.
Posted: 2023-09-26

IEA SHC Task 69: 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 countries.
Posted: 2023-09-12

IEA SHC Task 69: 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.
Posted: 2023-08-24

IEA SHC Task 66: 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 definitions that have different impacts on the assessment of residential solar-energy-based systems.
Posted: 2023-08-09

IEA SHC Task 71: 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 future. The workshop brings together the German PV and heating industry and provides an overview of the supply as well as demand side in the German market.
Posted: 2023-07-31

IEA SHC Task 71: 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 began work earlier this year and found itself right in the midst of a heated debate on heating systems for single-family homes in Europe.
Posted: 2023-07-26

IEA SHC Task 68: Solar District Heating Info Package for Cities and Towns
Posted: 2023-07-26

IEA SHC Task 64: 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 step for international market statistics for new solar heat capacities. So far, the factor 0.7 kWth/m² is only used for non-tracking collectors, following a recommendation published by IEA SHC in 2004
Posted: 2023-07-26

IEA SHC Task 64: 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.
Posted: 2023-07-20

IEA SHC Task 68: 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 develop new district heating systems to reduce their dependency on fossil fuels the IEA SHC Task 68 team has developed a solar district heating info package.
Posted: 2023-06-27

IEA SHC Task 64: 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 of area to power for statistics on concentrating collectors.
Posted: 2023-05-04

IEA SHC Task 63: 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 planning in urban environments, March 10, 2023...
Posted: 2023-04-06

IEA SHC Task 63: 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?
Posted: 2023-03-24

IEA SHC Task 68: 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.
Posted: 2023-03-06

IEA SHC Task 70: 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 and Passive Solar Systems Group at the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics in Germany.
Posted: 2023-03-01

IEA SHC Task 65: 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 financing models are among the important factors in overcoming non-technical barriers.
Posted: 2023-02-27

IEA SHC Task 68: 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 (SDH) has started a discussion about cost reduction potential of SDH systems.
Posted: 2023-02-06

IEA SHC Task 67: 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 may reduce the storage capacity and/or the thermal power exchange over the operational life of compact thermal energy storage (CTES) systems.
Posted: 2023-01-28

IEA SHC Task 63: 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 neighbourhood planning within Task 63 to describe how planners have used tools for irradiation assessment and a visual programming environment in selected new housing developments as well as building renovation projects.
Posted: 2023-01-17

IEA SHC Task 68: 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 potential and provide as much renewable energy as possible.
Posted: 2023-01-05

IEA SHC Task 65: 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 cooling comes from emerging economies and will more than triple by 2050 to 6,000 TWh/a globally...
Posted: 2023-01-05

IEA SHC Task 64: 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 to support planners and investors as they consider such a project...
Posted: 2023-01-05

IEA SHC Task 66: 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 are to establish national building renovation plans that transform existing buildings into zero-emission buildings.
Posted: 2022-12-22

IEA SHC Task 64: 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).
Posted: 2022-12-13

IEA SHC Task 68: 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 of 51 participants from 15 countries
Posted: 2022-12-07

IEA SHC Task 69: 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 Energy Agency Solar Heating and Cooling Programme (IEA SHC) Solar Award.
Posted: 2022-12-01

IEA SHC Task 71: 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).
Posted: 2022-10-29

IEA SHC Task 66: 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 as an innovative energy supply solution" took place at the end of September in Germany.
Posted: 2022-10-26

IEA SHC Task 69: 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, received the award during EuroSun 2022 at the end of September (see photo).
Posted: 2022-10-23

IEA SHC Task 65: 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 cooling comes from emerging economies and will more than triple by 2050 to 6,000 TWh/a globally. What could be the contribution from PV and solar thermal cooling to meet this increasing demand in the next decade?
Posted: 2022-10-19

IEA SHC Task 71: 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 renewable energy technologies is, however, a relatively new field of research.
Posted: 2022-10-08

IEA SHC Task 68: 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, the market could again lead the way by contributing to Denmark’s 2030 aim of a 70 % carbon emissions reduction.
Posted: 2022-09-15

IEA SHC Task 63: 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 the wider University of Calgary community, to a seminar exploring solar neighborhoods.
Posted: 2022-09-02

IEA SHC Task 60: 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 20% in 2020.
Posted: 2022-08-11

IEA SHC Task 69: Task 69 in the News
IEA SHC initiative to increase quality and market volumes of smart solar hot water systems
Posted: 2022-06-29

IEA SHC Task 67: 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 in Austria was a deep dive into thermochemical heat storage...
Posted: 2022-05-23

IEA SHC Task 69: 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 Solar hot water for 2030 within the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme.
Posted: 2022-05-15

IEA SHC Task 57: 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, Solergy is such a quality label. It shows how much collectors can contribute to a CO2-free heat supply in different locations and at different temperature levels...
Posted: 2022-05-04

IEA SHC Task 66: 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 of the globe, including the first mandatory solar building regulations in China and Mexico’s rules on energy efficiency and solar energy in the construction sector.
Posted: 2022-04-14

IEA SHC Task 68: 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 Efficient Solar District Heating Systems, also called Task 68. About 30 mostly European solar heat experts have worked 12 months on setting up a workplan for the three-year programme, which will end in March 2025. Focus areas will include medium-high temperature feed-in and digitalisation.
Posted: 2022-02-09

IEA SHC Task 57: 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.
Posted: 2022-01-14

IEA SHC Task 65: 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 a specialized course for professionals on Solar Cooling for Sunbelt Regions in November at Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study in South Africa. A total of 46 participants from 7 countries took part, with around 8 of them participating virtually.
Posted: 2022-01-10

IEA SHC Task 64: 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. The large number of simulation tools available means that results can differ significantly and possibly create a lack of trust by investors...
Posted: 2021-12-20

IEA SHC Task 59: 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 the Task’s impact on historic buildings, we asked Alexandra Troi, the Task Operating Agent, to share some of her thoughts on this multi-year project...
Posted: 2021-12-20

IEA SHC Task 63: 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 Neighborhood Planning participants are working on solar planning and economic strategies, simulation methods and tools, and case studies...
Posted: 2021-12-20

IEA SHC Task 61: 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 first-hand about the Task’s impact on lighting, we asked Jan de Boer, the Task Operating Agent, to share some of his thoughts on this 3...
Posted: 2021-12-20

IEA SHC Task 61: 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 usage then shifted to a broader focus beginning with SHC Task 50: Advanced Lighting Solutions for Retrofitting Buildings, which addressed lighting retrofits...
Posted: 2021-12-20

IEA SHC Task 59: 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.
Posted: 2021-12-05

IEA SHC Task 64: 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. Therefore, simulation tools play an important role in the project development phase.
Posted: 2021-11-04

IEA SHC Task 63: 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 was offered by the IEA SHC Task 63 Solar Neighbourhood Planning in October.
Posted: 2021-11-01

IEA SHC Task 69: 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 to decline.
Posted: 2021-09-26

IEA SHC Task 65: 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 IEA Solar Heating and Cooling programme by heading the Demonstration subtask of global research network Task 65 – Solar Cooling for the Sunbelt Regions.
Posted: 2021-09-20

IEA SHC Task 64: 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 to tap into this potential, partly because of high investment costs and partly because of end customers’ lack of knowledge about, and therefore trust in, industrial solar heat solutions.
Posted: 2021-08-10

IEA SHC Task 55: 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, we’ve asked Sabine Putz, the Austrian Task Operating Agent, to share some of her thoughts on this 4-year project...
Posted: 2021-08-07

IEA SHC Task 55: 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 to decarbonize their heating sector. Thermal networks offer a dual solution – increasing energy efficiency in urban areas and integrating renewable energies into the heat supply...
Posted: 2021-08-07

IEA SHC Task 60: 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, we’ve asked Jean-Christophe Hadorn, the Swiss Task Operating Agent, to share some of his thoughts on this 3-year project...
Posted: 2021-08-07

IEA SHC Task 60: 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. IEA SHC Task 60: PVT Systems investigated the possible concepts for the last three years with a group of experts from research laboratories and solar industries...
Posted: 2021-08-07

IEA SHC Task 67: 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 can play an important role in transforming the energy market. At its meeting in June, the IEA SHC Executive Committee approved the start of a new research platform titled Task 67 – Compact Thermal Energy Storage Materials within Components.
Posted: 2021-07-20

IEA SHC Task 60: 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 the world. In 2019, the Netherlands, France and Spain claimed the top spots for the most PVT capacity added in a year.
Posted: 2021-07-08

IEA SHC Task 63: 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 encounter while doing so. The image above is taken from a Norwegian workflow story. It shows a simulation of sunlight patterns during morning hours in a new neighbourhood where inner courtyards should have access to direct sunlight at least 50 % of the time.
Posted: 2021-07-03

IEA SHC Task 64: 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 standardised heat load profiles in multiple industrial subsectors.
Posted: 2021-06-28

IEA SHC Task 64: 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 Austria, Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands – that have created similar programmes. In the last three months of 2020, Spain’s regions then submitted tenders for clean heat installations and units powered by renewable gas.
Posted: 2021-05-20

IEA SHC Task 60: 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 heating or cooling. However, this new technology faces several challenges that are hampering its uptake in Australia.
Posted: 2021-05-10

IEA SHC Task 59: 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 energy consumption of historic buildings while retaining their aesthetic features and cultural significance.
Posted: 2021-05-05

IEA SHC Task 66: 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 Energy Buildings. The researchers participating in the new task intend to develop and popularise a building standard focused on solar energy as the main energy source for heating, cooling and electricity generation.
Posted: 2021-05-02

IEA SHC Task 63: 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.
Posted: 2021-04-26

IEA SHC Task 66: 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 Institute), an alliance of about 300 architects, planners, building companies and system integrators that specialise in the design or construction of houses where sunlight provides at least 50 % of the heat and, in some cases, electricity a year.
Posted: 2021-04-24

IEA SHC Task 66: 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 Austrian Institute AEE INTEC following completion.
Posted: 2021-04-24

IEA SHC Task 59: 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 fee is 125€ (VAT excluded). Please note that the registration is valid only for one day...
Posted: 2021-04-13

IEA SHC Task 56: 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 56 on Building Integrated Solar Envelope Systems for HVAC and Lighting layout how to support the development of these systems.
Posted: 2021-03-29

IEA SHC Task 60: 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 and future technological developments.
Posted: 2021-02-28

IEA SHC Task 60: END of Task 60
Task 60 has officially ended on Dec 31, 2020.
Posted: 2021-02-25

IEA SHC Task 59: SBE keynote speakers announced
Get inspired by SBE21 Heritage Keynote Speakers Dr. Ege Yildirim and Prof. Harald Garrecht.
Posted: 2021-02-25

IEA SHC Task 56: 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 envelope systems. The group has found that prefabrication, a customisable appearance and an interdisciplinary planning process can provide component manufacturers with significant opportunities for growth.
Posted: 2021-02-24

IEA SHC Task 60: 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 60 on PVT Systems layout how to support the development of PV/Solar Thermal (or PVT) collectors and systems.
Posted: 2021-01-15

IEA SHC Task 60: 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 and hot-water supply in an industrial building
Posted: 2021-01-14

IEA SHC Task 60: 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.
Posted: 2021-01-13

IEA SHC Task 63: 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 via active solar systems, improve air quality via greening, or provide cooling thanks to highly reflective and emissive materials.
Posted: 2020-12-17

IEA SHC Task 64: 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 and commerce to facilitate preliminary designs, feasibility assessments and potential studies on renewable heating systems...
Posted: 2020-12-16

IEA SHC Task 61: 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 System Efficiency, is wrapping up its work in June 2021 and results from these three and half year project are coming in...
Posted: 2020-12-16

IEA SHC Task 64: 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 EU-funded INSHIP project explained how industrial solar heat options can become affordable when SHIP systems work in concert with other renewable technologies.
Posted: 2020-12-01

IEA SHC Task 65: 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.
Posted: 2020-11-22

IEA SHC Task 55: Fact sheets TASK 55 available
TASK 55 ends soon! Currently the fact sheets are in finalization. There are already some fact sheets downloadable.
Posted: 2020-11-20

IEA SHC Task 65: 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 and the MENA region with specifications and know-how of solar thermal and PV air conditioning.
Posted: 2020-11-14

IEA SHC Task 64: 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 advanced risk management. To develop such processes is one of the main objectives of the subgroup Guideline to Markets of the IEA SHC Task 64 Solar Industrial Heat.
Posted: 2020-11-04

IEA SHC Task 60: 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 PV-thermal components. In addition, special PVT grants are offered only in Germany but not in Austria, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland or the UK, according to a survey carried out by international research group IEA SHC Task 60,
Posted: 2020-08-27

IEA SHC Task 65: 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 focuses on innovations for affordable, safe, and reliable solar cooling systems in sunbelt regions.
Posted: 2020-07-16

IEA SHC Task 56: 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 practice in building construction. The SHC team that tackled this challenge was a group of experts from eight countries representing seven companies, six universities, and four research institutes.
Posted: 2020-07-16

IEA SHC Task 65: 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 around the world. Already more than 50 organisations from the green-marked countries on the map have signed a letter of support. Other institutions based in the blue-coloured countries are in progress of establishing a cooperation with the new solar cooling research group called Task 65 which is supported by the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme.
Posted: 2020-07-10

IEA SHC Task 60: 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 owners, hotels, swimming pools and even production facilities among them.
Posted: 2020-07-02

IEA SHC Task 60: Report A1 of Task 60 about PVT examples is discussed on solarthermalworld,com
Posted: 2020-07-01

IEA SHC Task 59: 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.
Posted: 2020-06-19

IEA SHC Task 56: 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, as the available roof area is often relatively small compared to how much floor space needs to be heated or cooled.
Posted: 2020-06-18

IEA SHC Task 55: 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 the meeting. October 13 /14: Final Task 55 meeting – 2 full days Presentation of latest results October 15: Technology transfer workshop - 9 am to 2 pm Presentation of selected project results (industry and research projects) For more information or registration contact Operating agent Sabine Putz...
Posted: 2020-06-03

IEA SHC Task 56: Product Gallery is ready
Visit our gallery and click on the images to access information on the single technologies.
Posted: 2020-05-29

IEA SHC Task 63: 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 Solar Neighborhood Planning, also known as Task 63. On 11 and 12 March, 42 people based in 10 different countries, ranging from Canada and Sweden to China and Uganda, discussed the work plan of this recently started four-year project supported by the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling programme.
Posted: 2020-05-21

IEA SHC Task 59: 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 and that is currently gaining even more momentum. With a focus on “Renovating historic buildings for a low-carbon built heritage”, the conference will foster a multidisciplinary dialogue between scholars and practitioners working in the fields of energy efficiency and historic building conservation with the aim of finding together the solutions that will bring our common heritage into a sustainable future.
Posted: 2020-05-19

IEA SHC Task 60: 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 which hybrid PV-Thermal systems can be used. This two-in-one technology offers attractive payback periods whenever a constant amount of heat is needed all year round and electricity is consumed on site.
Posted: 2020-04-30

IEA SHC Task 59: 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 across the EU. However, architects and building owners are often lacking information about how to retrofit historic buildings while keeping their aesthetic and historic values intact.
Posted: 2020-03-02

IEA SHC Task 66: 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.
Posted: 2020-02-20

IEA SHC Task 60: 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 the ISES web site on Webinars ! There are other interesting topics discussed and the Webinars can also be seen online after the date.
Posted: 2020-01-29

IEA SHC Task 60: 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 improved the system’s performance. The improved system produced 55% more electricity, had 23% lower electric consumption and wasted 11% less heat by minimizing heat losses compared to the demonstration system. The improved system had a solar thermal fraction of 0.58, a solar electrical fraction of 1.51 and a renewable energy fraction of 0.75.
Posted: 2020-01-29

IEA SHC Task 55: 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 on Renewable Heat for Heat Networks.
Posted: 2020-01-20

IEA SHC Task 60: 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 is a clear sign that PVT is taking more importance on the international scene.You will find his presentation in the proceedings of the congresse here: http://shc2019.org/proceedings
Posted: 2019-12-20

IEA SHC Task 64: 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 is electricity, but half is heat for buildings and for industry. In the interview on Solar World Congress in Santiago de Chile Andreas Häberle points to the huge, largely untapped potential for solar energy use in manufacturing businesses.
Posted: 2019-12-01

IEA SHC Task 55: 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 2020!
Posted: 2019-12-01

IEA SHC Task 59: 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, Management and Conservation of Buildings of Historical Value held in Austria’s capital, 12 roll-up banners showed the positive impact that energy retrofits had on historic buildings in different countries.
Posted: 2019-11-27

IEA SHC Task 65: 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 research platform planned by the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling programme (IEA SHC).
Posted: 2019-09-30

IEA SHC Task 56: Webinar: How to use facades to generate solar energy
Sept. 3, 2019, SolarThermalWorld.org, by Bärbel Epp
Posted: 2019-09-19

IEA SHC Task 52: 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 ambitious aims set for them initially.
Posted: 2019-08-31

IEA SHC Task 59: 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 analysis of conditions in an historic library and how that might change with future climate change trends, and measures by which conservation conditions are maintained. Find the article via www.inderscienceonline.com/doi/abs/10.1504/IJGW.2019.101083
Posted: 2019-08-14

IEA SHC Task 59: 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 of information about appropriate refurbishment of traditional buildings. The EST are sponsored by government to deliver advice on energy efficiency and renewable options for homeowners in Scotland. This initiative will be a programme of education for the EST energy advisors who interact with the public, as well as a series of outreach events around Scotland for Architects, Building Professionals and Homeowners. We will also be working with the EST in developing their online building assessment tool for use with older buildings. Please visit www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/home-energy-efficiency for more info.
Posted: 2019-08-09

IEA SHC Task 59: 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 in Scotland. Often such buildings are remote, have no access to gas, and achieve poor assessment ratings, due to low insulation levels and restricted fuel types. However, on the positive side, there is often access to biomass and there are many opportunities for solar and wind power. HES will be delivering a series of outreach events in Scotland to farmers and contributing to a special edition of the magazine featuring upgrade options for older cottages. Please follow www.scottishlandandestates.co.uk/news for more information.
Posted: 2019-08-09

IEA SHC Task 59: 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 opportunity to meet researchers working on the EU Horizon 2020 project Robust Internal Thermal Insulation of Historic Buildings, or RIBuild, and prompted a fruitful exchange between experts in historic building refurbishment.
Posted: 2019-07-12

IEA SHC Task 55: 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 (SK) Scheme Rules was approved to allow collector efficiency tests in a real-life environment.
Posted: 2019-07-12

IEA SHC Task 59: 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 Hochparterre, SUPSI has organised an event on solar energy on 5 July 2019 in Lugano-Canobbio. The conference featured presentations on the integration of solar energy into historic buildings, energy-efficient renovation and building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) into architecture. Furthermore, the magazine Solaris 03 has been presented together with the platform solarchitecture.ch. Task59's Daniel Herrera presented the Task and other related projects dealing with the integratino of photovoltaics in historic buildings. Please find more information on the programme and how to sign up via the link. www.supsi.ch/dacd/eventi-comunicazioni/eventi/2019/2019-07-05.html
Posted: 2019-07-01

IEA SHC Task 55: 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 10th We are looking forward to welcoming you in Sweden in October 2019!
Posted: 2019-06-27

IEA SHC Task 60: 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 included in the Solar Heat Worldwide report. Data supplied by 26 manufacturers from 11 countries indicates that more than 1 million m2 of PVT collector area has been sold globally so far.
Posted: 2019-06-24

IEA SHC Task 60: Cost of PVT: how to calculate ?
A LCOH method to calcule the cost of energy from PVT systems
Posted: 2019-06-14

IEA SHC Task 64: 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 technology and processes for industrial solar heat (SHIP) with temperatures of up to about 400 °C.
Posted: 2019-06-03

IEA SHC Task 55: 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 in summer for heating purposes in winter. Take Sunstore 3, for example, a 60,000 m3 pit heat storage system built at a cost of 38 EUR/m3 of storage capacity in the town of Dronninglund in 2014: It has now reached a storage efficiency of more than 90 %.
Posted: 2019-06-03

IEA SHC Task 54: 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 and Cooling Programme (IEA SHC) what renewable heating technology was the most suited to work in concert with conventional sources of energy in residential buildings, they chose solar thermal over heat pumps, photovoltaic generators and biomass boilers.
Posted: 2019-06-03

IEA SHC Task 60: 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 (SRCC) and Michael Intrieri (SunDrum) to share and discuss lessons learnt when certifying PVT products...
Posted: 2019-05-14

IEA SHC Task 56: SWOT analysis of building-integrated solar systems
April 17, 2019, SolarThermalWorld.org, by Barbel Epp
Posted: 2019-05-13

IEA SHC Task 55: 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 to them.
Posted: 2019-04-17

IEA SHC Task 60: 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 in a Marine Studies Center in Cádiz (south of Spain) has been recently commissioned...
Posted: 2019-03-29

IEA SHC Task 55: 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 recording of the webinar is now online and you can find it here:  https://www...
Posted: 2019-03-27

IEA SHC Task 60: 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 was the first in which the business installed devices at non-commercial buildings in Spain and implemented projects abroad.
Posted: 2019-02-22

IEA SHC Task 57: 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, titled Development of Accelerated Ageing Tests for Evacuated Tube Collectors. Created by the China Academy of Building Research (CABR) as part of the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme’s Task 57, it was published in November 2018 and summarises the findings from exposing evacuated tube collectors (ETCs) to sunlight for between 88 and 241 days, with the aim of developing accelerated ageing methods.
Posted: 2019-02-14

IEA SHC Task 60: 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 for hybrid PVT-water collectors. Appl Energy 2019;235:1583–1602. doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2018.11.024 The paper deals with the design and optimisation of a PVT collector, and addreses: A 3-D FEM and CFD model to simulate a hybrid PV-Thermal collector (PVT) is developed. Several flat-box designs and materials for the absorber-exchanger are studied. Flow-channel size or material seem not critical within the range of investigation. Polymeric flat-box designs are expected to suffer lower strains than sheet and tube units. Weight and investment cost reductions are achieved with polymeric PVT designs.
Posted: 2019-01-20

IEA SHC Task 53: 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 and Air Conditioning at the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, late last November.
Posted: 2019-01-04

IEA SHC Task 57: 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 of those listening to a webinar on Solar Standards and Certification on 12 December.
Posted: 2018-12-31

IEA SHC Task 59: 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 location to show the work of IEA SHC Task, Renovating Historic Buildings Towards Zero Energy. Task Coordinator Alexandra Troi, of Italian-based Eurac Research, presented the group’s current research activities in a keynote speech at the final plenary session.
Posted: 2018-12-20

IEA SHC Task 60: 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
Posted: 2018-12-12

IEA SHC Task 49: 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 ideas for process integration.
Posted: 2018-12-06

IEA SHC Task 55: 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 Energy’s headquarters.
Posted: 2018-11-27

IEA SHC Task 60: 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 company Abora, based in Saragossa. It has already installed several hot water PVT systems at multi-family houses, sports centres and nursing homes and a combined heating and cooling unit at a hotel in Gerona in the northeast of Spain.
Posted: 2018-11-18

IEA SHC Task 60: Abora on solarthermalworld.org
ABORA systems are making market insights
Posted: 2018-11-15

IEA SHC Task 60: 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 Solar, an Israeli business which was set up in 1999 and specialises in PV-Thermal (PVT) technologies.
Posted: 2018-11-05

IEA SHC Task 53: 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 is either solar heat or electricity. Some include storage tanks and can provide hot water or space heating in addition to space cooling.
Posted: 2018-10-26

IEA SHC Task 59: Future Meetings & Events
Check here for a list of upcoming Task Meetings & Other events yet to be scheduled.
Posted: 2018-10-12

IEA SHC Task 53: 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 International Sustainable Energy Conference.
Posted: 2018-10-04

IEA SHC Task 59: 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 44 m2 have been integrated into the space between the wooden trusses and natural slate tiles of the historic structure built in the 12th century and cannot be seen by visitors.
Posted: 2018-09-08

IEA SHC Task 59: 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 of cultural heritage, provides guidance on how to improve the energy performance of historically significant structures.
Posted: 2018-08-25

IEA SHC Task 54: 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.
Posted: 2018-07-31

IEA SHC Task 55: 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 thermal energy to district heating networks. Preliminary results from a project in Taars, Denmark, have been encouraging, indicating how their combined strength can be an asset across a wide range of solar district heating applications.
Posted: 2018-07-16

IEA SHC Task 52: 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 % of the identified solar heat potential can be produced at a price of less than 50 EUR/MWh. These are the key findings from a study by PlanEnergi, a Danish consultancy. Its authors analysed maps showing 2,480 district heating networks in 22 countries that have no means of using waste heat for the task.
Posted: 2018-07-12

IEA SHC Task 60: ISES Webinar on Solar Thermal markets and PVT June 12, 2018
see the recording of the 3 presentations and the discussion
Posted: 2018-06-13

IEA SHC Task 60: 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 one of the main messages of the International Workshop on the Status of PVT Systems, organised by Fraunhofer ISE on 16 May 2018 in Freiburg.
Posted: 2018-06-06

IEA SHC Task 55: 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.
Posted: 2018-06-04

IEA SHC Task 54: Q&As from Task 54's Solar Academy webinar available now
Questions asked by the participants, answered by Task 54 experts.
Posted: 2018-05-15

IEA SHC Task 56: 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 current solutions to the demonstration stage and prevent them from going mainstream.
Posted: 2018-05-02

IEA SHC Task 55: 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 46 % of the energy in district heating networks across the country, followed by 24 % from waste incineration and 8 % from industrial excess heat.
Posted: 2018-04-21

IEA SHC Task 59: 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 historic structures in an energy-efficient manner.
Posted: 2018-04-09

IEA SHC Task 54: IEA SHC Webinar: Cost reduction potential above 30 %
The key takeaway from an IEA SHC Solar Academy webinar held on 14 March 2018: There is still much room for cost cuts along the entire solar thermal value chain.
Posted: 2018-04-05

IEA SHC Task 53: 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.
Posted: 2018-03-28

IEA SHC Task 60: 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 60. A summary and a link can be found in this article.
Posted: 2018-03-22

IEA SHC Task 55: 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.
Posted: 2018-03-02

IEA SHC Task 53: 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 in summer.
Posted: 2018-03-02

IEA SHC Task 61: 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. The task will tackle unresolved issues and challenges of a growing market which meets 19 % of the total electricity demand around the world.
Posted: 2018-02-13

IEA SHC Task 53: 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 2010.
Posted: 2018-02-10

IEA SHC Task 54: 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
Posted: 2018-02-07

IEA SHC Task 52: 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?
Posted: 2018-02-01

IEA SHC Task 57: 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, the Global Solar Certification Network, they can complete several certification processes with only one test cycle. “A collector manufacturer can save a lot of time and money because its collector test report from one region will be accepted to receive a certificate in another region,” GSCN Manager Jan Erik Nielsen from Denmark said in an interview with solarthermalworld.org.
Posted: 2018-01-18

IEA SHC Task 60: 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 representatives from 13 countries so far will then start evaluating new PVT systems for HVAC solutions.
Posted: 2017-12-21

IEA SHC Task 55: 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 (SHC) in Abu Dhabi, UAE, from 30 October to 2 November 2017...
Posted: 2017-12-07

IEA SHC Task 54: 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, the project partners have been evaluating technical and non-technical cost-saving potential, with low-cost materials, such as polymers, and production technologies bound to play an important role. At an early October workshop in Linz, Austria, about 50 project partners and guests discussed cost reductions made possible by new distribution channels, digital solutions and systems thinking approaches.
Posted: 2017-11-27

IEA SHC Task 54: LCOH for Reference Systems published
Check out the Info Sheets developed by participants in Task 54.
Posted: 2017-11-03

IEA SHC Task 56: 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 envelope solutions include facade-integrated solar thermal collectors, PV panels, daylight control systems or panels containing ventilation units with heat recovery and/or a heat pump with all necessary connectors.
Posted: 2017-10-08

IEA SHC Task 56: Cooperation on Energy Balance and Building Design Tools
Article by B. Epp on SolarThermalWorld.org.
Posted: 2017-10-05

IEA SHC Task 52: 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 Heat and Energy Economics in Urban Environments intends to answer.
Posted: 2017-10-04

IEA SHC Task 53: 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 solutions and are now creating a report about the technologies most suitable for a given application.
Posted: 2017-09-29

IEA SHC Task 51: 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 international group of researchers working in Task 51, Solar Energy in Urban Planning, has been to “support planners, architects, and local and national authorities in creating urban areas with architecturally integrated solar solutions in mind.”
Posted: 2017-09-26

IEA SHC Task 51: 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 of having to devise solutions for integrating renewable and energy efficiency measures at local level.
Posted: 2017-09-13

IEA SHC Task 55: 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 from private investors to finance the first solar heat delivery projects and strengthen its global sales force.
Posted: 2017-09-13

IEA SHC Task 48: 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 task was the creation of PISTACHE, a tool for professionals who need to pre-size solar cooling, heating and domestic hot water installations and assess their estimated performance. As part of the Habisol programme, the development of the tool by French organisations Tecsol and INES during the MeGaPICS project received additional funding from the French National Research Agency.
Posted: 2017-07-24

IEA SHC Task 55: 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 to the 2nd of November 2017.
Posted: 2017-07-07

IEA SHC Task 54: 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 to the next Task 54 experts meeting. More information in our events section.
Posted: 2017-06-13

IEA SHC Task 54: 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 efficient and time saving installation of solar thermal systems.
Posted: 2017-06-13

IEA SHC Task 54: 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.
Posted: 2017-06-13

IEA SHC Task 55: 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 MATLAB Toolbox can be integrated in a hydraulic tool to calculate the flow distribution and pressure loss behavior of T-pieces under boundary conditions that are relevant for solar thermal installations...
Posted: 2017-06-07

IEA SHC Task 54: 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.
Posted: 2017-05-26

IEA SHC Task 55: 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 in 2016, but also when one hears about Big Solar, a 250 MWth collector field – with 1.8 million m2 of seasonal storage – planned to cover 20 % of the energy demand in the Austrian city of Graz by 2020.
Posted: 2017-05-24

IEA SHC Task 54: 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 them more attractive to end users. The members of Task 54 of the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme, Price Reduction of Solar Thermal Systems, have discussed the effects of standardised product designs or changes in product offerings on cost structures.
Posted: 2017-05-22

IEA SHC Task 55: 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 the scheme budget used to be spent on biomass, geothermal and on-shore wind projects.
Posted: 2017-05-16

IEA SHC Task 40: 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 IEA Solar Heating and Cooling (SHC) / Energy in Buildings and Communities (EBC).
Posted: 2017-05-09

IEA SHC Task 55: TWITTER: Task 55 News
Task 55 is now on Twitter! Follow the latest Task 55 News HERE.
Posted: 2017-04-12

IEA SHC Task 53: 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 this objective besides increasing market volume is standardisation.
Posted: 2017-03-13

IEA SHC Task 53: 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.
Posted: 2017-02-20

IEA SHC Task 54: National Dissemination Workshop on Polymeric Collectors
National Dissemination Workshop on polymeric collectors on 31 January 2017 in Ingolstadt, Germany.
Posted: 2016-12-15

IEA SHC Task 56: 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 building engineers. A good forum to get in touch with architecture professionals is the annual Advanced Building Skins Conference (ABS) in Switzerland.
Posted: 2016-11-29

IEA SHC Task 57: Global Solar Certification Network: Facilitating International High-Quality Collector Trade
The recent approval of Working Rules means that the Global Solar Certification Network (GSCN) can now accept membership applications. The reuse of test and inspection reports in different certification schemes will be possible at the beginning of 2017.
Posted: 2016-11-29

IEA SHC Task 56: Facade-integrated HVAC components pose a Challenge for all parties involved
Read the article by B. Epp on SolarThermalWorld.org.
Posted: 2016-11-23

IEA SHC Task 54: 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.
Posted: 2016-11-10

IEA SHC Task 55: 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 participated in the Task 55 Kick-Off Meeting in Graz.
Posted: 2016-11-07

IEA SHC Task 55: 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 & climate change.
Posted: 2016-11-07

IEA SHC Task 46: 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 need to be able to rely on data sets to include the uncertainty and variability of input information.
Posted: 2016-11-04

IEA SHC Task 50: 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.
Posted: 2016-10-24

IEA SHC Task 51: 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, 26 September, in Berlin, Germany.
Posted: 2016-10-24

IEA SHC Task 51: 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 group of researchers of Task 51,
Posted: 2016-10-20

IEA SHC Task 55: 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 has reached the global stage and the 15th International Symposium on District Heating and Cooling was the first one supported by the IEA District Heating and Cooling programme (IEA DHC).
Posted: 2016-10-20

IEA SHC Task 56: 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 model factory of the future" and Merck Window Technologies in Darmstadt.
Posted: 2016-09-28

IEA SHC Task 54: Launch of Questionnaire on Installation
Questionnaire on installation of solar thermal systems now available in German, English and French.
Posted: 2016-09-16

IEA SHC Task 54: 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.
Posted: 2016-09-09

IEA SHC Task 54: 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
Posted: 2016-09-09

IEA SHC Task 54: KOST / TEWISOL Information Day, 5 October 2016
ITW Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 10, 70569 Stuttgart, 5 October 2016, 12:00 - 16:00
Posted: 2016-07-26

IEA SHC Task 54: Solar Thermal Costs Published in Solar Heat World Wide 2016
Webinar: Global View on Solar Heating and Cooling Market online
Posted: 2016-07-26

IEA SHC Task 54: 3rd Task 54 Experts Meeting in Stuttgart, Germany
Join the 3rd Task 54 Experts Meeting in Stuttgart, 6-7 October 2016.
Posted: 2016-07-26

IEA SHC Task 56: 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, 10-11 October 2016 in Bern, Switzerland.
Posted: 2016-07-15

IEA SHC Task 52: 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?
Posted: 2016-07-06

IEA SHC Task 57: ISO 9806 is being revised
ISO 9806 is being revised with approval expected before end of 2016.
Posted: 2016-06-29

IEA SHC Task 52: 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 aspects of solar heating and cooling usage in densely populated urban areas. Urban planners and commercial clients want to know the costs compared to the energy output generated by various solar heating technologies.
Posted: 2016-05-31

IEA SHC Task 43: 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 years, the so-called Contracting Award highlights exemplary ESCO projects in Germany (“Contracting” is the German word for Energy Service Contracts).
Posted: 2016-05-26

IEA SHC Task 53: 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 the international air conditioning industry.
Posted: 2016-05-16

IEA SHC Task 56: 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 Solar Envelope Systems for HVAC and Lighting.
Posted: 2016-05-16

IEA SHC Task 51: 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.
Posted: 2016-05-16

IEA SHC Task 54: 2nd experts meeting takes place in Florence, Italy from 3-4 May 2016
For more information, please see our events page.
Posted: 2016-04-12

IEA SHC Task 54: 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 the ESTTP workshop to 24-25 May 2016. The Task 54 Workshop will still be held as part of the ESTTP workshop, its new date is Wednesday, May 25th, 2016...
Posted: 2016-04-05

IEA SHC Task 56: Successful start of Task 56
Summary of the meeting and interview with the Operating Agent at Solarthermalworld.org.
Posted: 2016-04-03

IEA SHC Task 56: Task 56 Kick-off "In the News" by EURAC Research
In German language.
Posted: 2016-04-03

IEA SHC Task 57: 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 Network were approved.
Posted: 2016-03-29

IEA SHC Task 57: 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.
Posted: 2016-03-29

IEA SHC Task 49: 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 engineer developed a classification system for the integration of solar thermal systems providing process heat on industrial premises.
Posted: 2016-03-04

IEA SHC Task 42: 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.
Posted: 2016-02-18

IEA SHC Task 49: 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 connection is achieved when (1) the costs and length of the connecting pipes is small, (2) the pressure drop over the entire array is low and (3) there is homogeneous mass flow distribution across the entire field.
Posted: 2016-01-22

IEA SHC Task 48: 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 authorities involved in the related field work. This becomes an even more important point if the aim of the research is to “assist with the developing of a strong and sustainable market”.
Posted: 2016-01-22

IEA SHC Task 48: 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 & Support Measures for Solar Cooling Systems created the diagram below to categorize the results from 3.5 years of work by 30 solar cooling experts.
Posted: 2016-01-11

IEA SHC Task 54: IEA SHC Task 54: 2nd Experts Meeting will take place in Florence, Italy on May 3-4, 2016
See Task 54 for more information.
Posted: 2015-12-02

IEA SHC Task 51: 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 across the twelve member countries.
Posted: 2015-11-08

IEA SHC Task 49: 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 the IEA SHC Programme and IEA SolarPACES Programme, working with experts in this field, developed guidelines that describe in detail how to incorporate solar heat into industrial processes.
Posted: 2015-10-12

IEA SHC Task 49: 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 in Industrial Processes, used the last meeting in France in mid-September to hold a one-day workshop dedicated to Solar Heat Integration in Industrial Processes (SHIP) in cooperation with French start-up Energy Service Company Sunti.
Posted: 2015-10-05

IEA SHC Task 42: 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 work between 2009 and 2015. Operating agent Matthias Rommel sees huge potential for latent heat and sorption materials in the long run – in seasonal solar heat storage for small and medium applications, as well as in the building sector.
Posted: 2015-10-03

IEA SHC Task 53: 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 on and market developments in solar cooling technology.
Posted: 2015-10-01

IEA SHC Task 44: 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 water heating systems. As a consequence, it can enhance the energy footprint of a building substantially. Order your copy of the new book: "Solar and Heat Pump Systems for Residential Buildings" recently published by Wiley publishers.
Posted: 2015-09-02

IEA SHC Task 49: 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 Process Heat for Production and Advanced Applications of the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme. It includes 155 solar process heat projects (as of May 2015) with a total solar thermal capacity of 101 MWth.
Posted: 2015-09-02

IEA SHC Task 40: 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 are taking on the challenge – how to create highly energy-efficient buildings while remaining cost competitive.
Posted: 2015-08-26

IEA SHC Task 43: 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 (SHC). The Executive Committee of the IEA SHC approved the set-up of a task definition workshop in Paris on 7 October 2015, in order to establish a new task under the title International Standards & Global Certification.
Posted: 2015-08-04

IEA SHC Task 53: 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 presentation Solar Air-Conditioning in Europe during the Solar Cooling Week, which took place in Shanghai from 23 to 27 March.
Posted: 2015-06-16

IEA SHC Task 52: 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 for Danish systems including short-term storages range from 204 to 263 EUR/m2.
Posted: 2015-06-16

IEA SHC Task 39: 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.
Posted: 2015-05-27

IEA SHC Task 49: 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, leather, metal treatment, etc.), industry associations, production lines and machinery providers as well as energy consultants. This is also a great opportunity to network with the experts from the Task 49, solar technology providers as well as developers with investment capacity. All the competences and success keys for your projects.
Posted: 2015-05-22

IEA SHC Task 49: 8th expert meeting in Montpellier, France - 16-17 September 2015
Posted: 2015-05-22

IEA SHC Task 50: Task 50 Newsletter Online
Check out the latest newsletter.
Posted: 2015-04-13

IEA SHC Task 46: 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 these meetings is the Chinese Solar Cooling Conference (SCC 2015) on March 27th where Task experts will present their work and results to the Chinese.
Posted: 2015-03-25

IEA SHC Task 49: New deliverables published
The Delivarables B1 (Methodologies and Software Tools for Integrating Solar Heat into Industrial Processes) and B2 (Integration Guideline) are now available
Posted: 2015-02-26

IEA SHC Task 49: 7th expert meeting in San Sebastian, Spain - 12-13 March 2015
Posted: 2015-01-07

IEA SHC Task 41: 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 ...
Posted: 2014-12-23

IEA SHC Task 47: 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 be downloaded from the this page.
Posted: 2014-11-17

IEA SHC Task 50: 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 started.
Posted: 2014-10-17

IEA SHC Task 49: Industry Workshop on Solar Process Heat
Technology Workshop on Solar Process Heat for Industry
Posted: 2014-07-22

IEA SHC Task 49: 6th Expert Meeting in Milano
25th to 26th of September
Posted: 2014-07-04

IEA SHC Task 47: 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.
Posted: 2014-04-15

IEA SHC Task 47: 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 Exhibition "Light + Building 2014". The purpose with symposium is to present the main outcome of the task...
Posted: 2014-03-18

IEA SHC Task 49: Workshop: Energy Supply for Intensified Processes
Exchange views on the effect of intensifed processes on industrial energy supply
Posted: 2014-02-28

IEA SHC Task 50: 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.
Posted: 2014-02-10

IEA SHC Task 50: 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.
Posted: 2014-02-01

IEA SHC Task 49: Largest solar thermal plant is a SHIP application
39,300 m² solar thermal plant in Chile
Posted: 2013-10-22

IEA SHC Task 49: 4th expert meeting took place in Evora, Portugal
3-4 Oct 2013
Posted: 2013-10-22

IEA SHC Task 49: 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 to a low-temperature-process by integrating additional heat exchanger plates...
Posted: 2013-10-22

IEA SHC Task 48: 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” provides a means of predicting the performance of desiccant based solar cooling systems and fan coil solar heating systems.
Posted: 2013-09-04

IEA SHC Task 48: 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 at SolaRueck event.
Posted: 2013-09-03

IEA SHC Task 39: Task 39 Exhibition at SHC 2013
September 23-25, 2013
Posted: 2013-07-01

IEA SHC Task 40: 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.
Posted: 2013-06-26

IEA SHC Task 49: Next IEA SHC Task 49/IV meeting in Bilbao Spain (16/17/18. October 2013)
Posted: 2013-06-20

IEA SHC Task 48: 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.
Posted: 2013-06-09

IEA SHC Task 40: 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.
Posted: 2013-05-30

IEA SHC Task 44: 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.
Posted: 2013-05-28

IEA SHC Task 42: 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 the position of Scientific Director TES are sought.
Posted: 2013-04-19

IEA SHC Task 47: 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.
Posted: 2013-04-12

IEA SHC Task 44: Task 44 Newsletter February 2013
Check out the Task 44 Newsletter
Posted: 2013-03-04

IEA SHC Task 47: Task 47 Highlights 2012 Now Online
Posted: 2013-02-12

IEA SHC Task 42: Task 42 2012 Highlights Now Online
Posted: 2013-02-12

IEA SHC Task 39: Task 39 2012 Highlights Now Online
Posted: 2013-02-12

IEA SHC Task 40: Task 40 2012 Highlights Now Online
Posted: 2013-02-12

IEA SHC Task 41: Task 41 2012 Highlights Now Online
Posted: 2013-02-12

IEA SHC Task 44: Task 44 2012 Highlights Now Online
Posted: 2013-02-12

IEA SHC Task 46: Task 46 2012 Highlights Now Online
Posted: 2013-02-12

IEA SHC Task 48: Task 48 2012 Highlights Now Online
Posted: 2013-02-12

IEA SHC Task 49: Task 49 2012 Highlights Now Online
Posted: 2013-02-12

IEA SHC Task 42: 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.
Posted: 2013-02-11

IEA SHC Task 49: Task 49 New Work Plan Posted
February 15, 2012
Posted: 2012-11-27

IEA SHC Task 49: Strengthening Solar Heat for Industrial Processes -- IEA SHC Launches New Research Project
May 24, 2012
Posted: 2012-11-27

IEA SHC Task 49: Task 49 Releases Brochure
July 26, 2012
Posted: 2012-11-27

IEA SHC Task 48: Task 48 Has New Flyer
October 2011
Posted: 2012-11-27

IEA SHC Task 48: 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
Posted: 2012-11-27

IEA SHC Task 48: Presentations of solar cooling session at Intersolar Europe now available for download
July 5, 2012
Posted: 2012-11-27

IEA SHC Task 48: Momentum in solar cooling growing: Large industrial corporations entering the field
July 5, 2012
Posted: 2012-11-27

IEA SHC Task 48: Task 48 Highlights 2011 Now Online
Posted: 2012-11-27

IEA SHC Task 49: Task 49 Highlights 2011 Now Online
Posted: 2012-11-27

IEA SHC Task 45: Task 45 Highlights 2011 Now Online
December 2011
Posted: 2012-11-27

IEA SHC Task 45: Presentations from Task45 1st Expert Meeting
April 5-6, 2011 - Barcelona, Spain
Posted: 2012-11-27

IEA SHC Task 44: Task 44 / Annex 38 Newsletter June 2012
Task 44 / Annex 38 Newsletter June 2012
Posted: 2012-11-27

IEA SHC Task 44: Task 44 / Annex 38 Highlights 2011 Now Online
Posted: 2012-11-27

IEA SHC Task 42: Task 42 Highlights 2011 Now Online
Posted: 2012-11-27

IEA SHC Task 40: Job: Researcher Responsible for Laboratory Activities
Institute for Renewable Energy Apply by December 15, 2012
Posted: 2012-11-27

IEA SHC Task 39: Task 39 Handbook is Available Now!
Polymeric Materials for Solar Thermal Applications - October 2012 Order Now
Posted: 2012-11-26