• July 14, 2026
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LATEST NEWS

IEA SHC Solar Award

Apply now for the IEA SHC Solar Award with a solar thermal innovative project

The International Energy Agency’s Solar Heating and Cooling Programme has opened applications for the SHC Solar Award 2026, inviting companies, business consortiums and public entities worldwide to submit innovative solar thermal solutions. The competition recognizes initiatives that significantly advance the adoption of solar heating and cooling technologies and expand their …
Proven reliability of concentrating collectors

Proven reliability of concentrating collectors in coastal and dusty conditions

The long-term operation of the concentrating collectors at the fruit juice factory Kean Softdrinks in Cyprus has shown that this technology can reliably supply steam even in dusty environments and near the sea. Since commissioning in 2018, the plant has operated without any major failures. Routine mirror cleaning has been …
solar receiver coatings

Swiss-made and cost-competitive: Sunaxer’s new approach to solar receiver coatings

Switzerland isn’t exactly known for cost-effective production conditions. That makes it all the more remarkable that a receiver manufacturer based in Renens, near Lausanne in western Switzerland, claims to produce as cost-effectively as its competitors from Asia. We’re talking about Sunaxer, a startup founded by Anna Krammer and Maxime Lagier …
Bridging the gap between PCM research and real-world storage

Bridging the gap between PCM research and real-world storage

In recent years, research into compact thermal energy storage has focused primarily on the development of storage materials. This focus is now set to broaden. The IEA SHC Programme has launched a new research group dedicated to Components for Thermal Energy Storage. “We would like to bridge the gap between …
diversifying PVT technology

PVT4EU develops and tests next-generation PVT collectors

The combination of PV module and thermal absorber – known as PVT – is available in many different designs. „There is no universally optimal PVT collector; the best solution is always application-specific,” said Iván Acosta, Project Coordinator of PVT4EU and Head of Engineering at MG Sustainable Engineering, Sweden. This is …
lessons learned on thermal energy storage research

“Our biggest success was defining a protocol for characterization of storage materials”

The newly started IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme Task 75 on Thermal Energy Storage Material aims at taking the successes of previous task work and making them accessible for other research groups. In charge of this communication effort is Professor Frédéric Kuznik from the National Institute for Applied Science …
Maximize the utilization of the sun's spectrum

Hybrid solar collector unlocks triple solar energy harvesting

A solar collector can do more than just generate heat. As a hybrid collector, it can simultaneously produce fuel and electricity as well. Scientists from IEA SHC Task 72 are working on the development of such versatile solar elements for solar photoreactors for the production of fuels and chemicals. The …
industrial heat pumps

Growing demand for industrial heat pumps drives innovation in heat exchangers

Demand for industrial heat pumps is growing. Customers want heat pumps with large capacities and, if possible, with natural refrigerants. This calls for advanced heat exchangers for condensers and evaporators. The German agency solrico conducted a survey among heat exchanger manufacturers to find out what requirements are placed on heat …

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