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:
IEA SHC: Solar Heat Worldwide Highlights Remarkable Achievements and Addresses Challenges
In late May, the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme (IEA SHC) published its annual report titled Solar Heat Worldwide (see the attached document). It is the most comprehensive study of solar heating and cooling markets around the globe and has been referenced by international organisations such as REN21 and …
IEA 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 …
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 …
IEA SHC: 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. The planned IEA SHC task titled Deep Renovation of Historic Buildings Towards Lowest Possible Energy Demand and CO2 Emission …
IEA SHC: New Task to Push Emerging PVT Industry
Inventors and start-ups have been trying to combine photovoltaic and solar thermal collectors into one product for many years. Finally, a new industry seems to be emerging. The IEA SHC task Application of PVT collectors and new solutions with PVT systems, which is currently being defined, intends to become the …
IEA SHC: 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). As many as 86 experts from 19 countries collaborated in …
Netherlands: Solar Thermal Benefits from SDE+ Solar Heat Tariff
In the Netherlands, solar district heating plants with a capacity of 140 kWth or above can benefit from a feed-in tariff scheme called SDE+, which pays a certain amount per kWh of energy. Under the scheme, operators of renewable energy plants can apply for a subsidy to bridge the gap …
IEA SHC Task 50: LightingRetrofitAdviser.com for Investors and Planners
A redesign of lighting systems in office or public buildings helps to save electricity and improve lighting quality, as the office building of the Austrian company Bartenbach on the photos shows. However, lighting systems are rarely upgraded: For example, in Germany, retrofits can only be found in 3 % of …
Webinar: Advanced Lighting Solutions for Retrofitting Buildings
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. Planners are challenged to keep track of the fast technological developments occurring as they work with clients to find the most cost-effective solutions …
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. Companies from around the globe have responded to the challenge …
IEA SHC Award 2017: Nominations Call for Outstanding Support Programme / Policy Achievements
The IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme has published a Call for Nominations for its 2017 Solar Award. Until 1 May 2017, administrators of successful SHC support programmes or policies can be nominated for the award, which will be presented at the International Conference on Solar Heating and Cooling for …
SHC 2017 and Solar World Congress Jointly Call for Papers
Masdar Institute of Science and Technology will host the key solar heating and cooling conference this year in Abu Dhabi from 29 October to 2 November. Two major organizations in the solar arena joined forces to offer a conference with a wide range of solar heating and cooling topics: IEA …
