International Energy Agency’s Solar Heating and Cooling Programme
The IEA Solar Heating and Cooling (SHC) Programme has over 35 years of international collaborative work in the field of research, development, demonstration (RD&D) and test methods for solar thermal energy and solar buildings. The results of this work are available for researchers, policy makers, industry, utility and business representatives, builders, architects and teachers
The IEA SHC Programme is a member-based Programme with 20 member countries and 5 member organizations. Its mission is “To enhance collective knowledge and application of solar heating and cooling through international collaboration to fulfill its vision of solar thermal energy meeting 50% of low temperature heating and cooling demand by 2050.”
Highlighted in the section below are some of our most recent publications:
Check lists and cost reduction potential for solar district heating
IEA SHC Task 68 on efficient solar district heating systems is coming to an end. Over the past three years, the task has made strong progress. It helped introduce the technology to project developers and utilities. This work resulted in a series of comprehensive reports. Luuk Beurskens from TNO, the …
Interactive learning at South Africa’s Solar Process Heat Training Week
The Solar Process Heat Training Week in mid-August 2025 near Pretoria, South Africa, offered a well-balanced mix of theory and practice. The four-day training was organized and hosted by SANEDI, the South African National Energy Development Institute, in cooperation with the IEA SHC Solar Academy. A total of 37 participants …
PVT Nexus Research Network: bridge the gap between academia and practice
The PVT international research community is receiving support from Northern Europe. MG Sustainable Engineering from Sweden officially launched the PVT Nexus Research Network at the end of August. To kick things off, a one-day online conference was held on 27 August, at which a number of experts from IEA SHC …
Türkiye’s special role in the global solar thermal market
Türkiye is a leading solar heat nation in various areas. It was the third largest market in terms of new solar collector capacity in 2024 after China and Brazil. Systems with a record 19.4 GW were in operation at the end of 2023. With its high solar radiation level, even …
South Africa: Status quo of solar heat in a challenging situation
South Africa holds a unique position in the global energy sector for several reasons. It is the largest market for both solar thermal and solar PV in Africa, with a growing demand for PV2heat solutions. However, the country also faces the challenge of being the largest emitter of greenhouse gases …
The political landscape shaping solar heat’s future in Europe
In today’s fast-changing European policy landscape, effective advocacy is more crucial than ever – both at EU and at national level. The EU is pushing forward with ambitious climate goals through initiatives like the Green Deal and the Fit for 55 package, which are currently being implemented across member states …
IEA SHC Programme experts gather in Slovakia to shape future of CO2-free heat
A milestone for the Slovak Innovation and Energy Agency: for the first time, SIEA hosted a meeting of an IEA Technology Collaboration Programme. The Executive Committee (ExCo) of the IEA Solar Heating & Cooling Programme convened in Bratislava, the Slovakian capital, for a three-day session at the beginning of June …
Global PVT market in transition: growth returns after two-year slide
Germany led the global PVT market in 2024, followed by the Netherlands and Spain. A total of 72,544 m² of PVT collectors were newly installed worldwide last year, representing 37.5 MWth and 18.6 MWel, with most installations concentrated in Europe and China. This marks a significant 13 % growth in …
Solar heat faces setbacks in buildings but industrial use and district heating expand
The Solar Heat Worldwide 2025 report published by the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme delivers both ─ a warning and some encouraging news. Globally, solar thermal energy in the building sector is facing intense pressure ─ on one side from the rapid expansion of heat pumps and policies favoring …
Accelerating solar fuel discovery guided by AI-driven autonomous lab
A new research group within the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme is focusing on the development of solar-driven processes and reactors, for example to produce solar hydrogen or convert CO2 and N2 to ammonia. The group is called Task 72 – Solar photo reactors for the generation of fuels …
Australia’s strong role in the IEA SHC global solar heat collaboration
Australia remains a highly active participant in the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme. Over the past three years, Professor Robert Taylor from the University of New South Wales has co-chaired Task 69, focused on Solar Hot Water for 2030. Continuing Australia’s active involvement, Doug Smith, CEO of Coolsheet PVT …
Mapping the global thermosiphon market: insights from eight world regions
Thermosiphon systems account for more than half of the total installed solar thermal capacity worldwide (status at the end of 2022), but little is published about them. The scientists from Task 69 Solar Hot Water for 2030 have closed that gap. They carried out a survey among manufacturers of thermosiphon …
