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:
China: First Chinese Solar Cooling Conference to Take Place in Shanghai in March
This spring, a major event for solar cooling is going to take place in Shanghai: From 23 to 27 March 2015, the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme and the Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) will jointly organise a Solar Cooling Week in the city. The week is going to …
Norway: Research Community Visits Estate Built with Polymer Collectors
Norwegian collector manufacturer Aventa and the University of Oslo’s Department of Physics jointly hosted two meetings in the middle of October: The meeting of Task 39 (Polymeric Materials for Solar Thermal Applications) of the International Energy Agency’s Solar Heating and Cooling programme (IEA SHC), as well as the meeting of …
Australia: Ken Guthrie Appointed as New Chairman of IEA SHC Programme
It was the second time an Australian was chosen to head the Solar Heating and Cooling Programme of the International Energy Agency (IEA SHC Programme): In June, Ken Guthrie was elected Chair of the Executive Committee for the next two years. Guthrie founder and Director of Sustainable Energy Transformation, a …
Worldwide: Initiators of Solar Process Heat Database Look to Add More Reference Projects
The middle of March saw the launch of the online database http://www.ship-plants.info, which has so far collected 122 projects using Solar Heat for Industrial Processes (SHIP). The database was created in the frame of Task 49/IV of the Solar Heating and Cooling Programme by the International Energy Agency. The energy …
Sweden: Multi-Family Buildings Use Low Return Temperatures to Optimise Solar Yield
A greater difference of supply and return temperature in a heating circuit increases the share of energy which can be utilised from a solar thermal system or another renewable energy source. With this in mind, Swedish company Alfa Laval developed the highly efficient heat interface unit called Mini City and …
COPANT: One Common Standard – Better than 31 Different Ones?
To date, solar thermal energy has been a largely unregulated technology in Latin America. Most of the countries in the region are suffering from nationalised, uncoordinated and sometimes insufficient quality standards. This lack of agreement is hindering the development of a shared and mature market. The regional Pan American Standards …
Tunisia Funds Solar Process Heat
Tunisia is venturing into another completely new solar thermal application area: solar process heat. After having started the national support programme Prosol first in 2005 for residential solar water heaters, then in 2009 for hotels, hamams (Turkish baths), academic houses and hospitals, Prosol Industry is now already the third scheme …
European Energy Label: A+++ for Solar Packages in 2015
On 6 September 2013, the official journal of the European Commission published the regulations for the eco-design and energy labelling of water, space and combi heaters under the Ecodesign Directive (2005/32/EC). The documents were also translated into all EU-member states’ languages. Until now, this has been the latest official step …
Germany: Task 39 Showcases Solar Collectors Made of Polymers
An exhibition taking place as part of the International Conference on Solar Heating and Cooling (SHC) 2013 between 23 and 25 September 2013 unveiled how solar collectors manufactured from plastic materials may look like in the future. Under the motto Efficiency and Design, the exhibits provided an insight into research …
Germany: Time to Upload Abstracts for SHC 2013 Conference
After the successful launch of the SHC 2012 in San Francisco, the SHC 2013 will be the second event in this new series of annual scientific conferences on solar heating and cooling. The SHC 2013, the International Conference on Solar Heating and Cooling for Buildings and Industry, is going to …
USA: Second Workshop for Solar Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration
The 2nd Workshop for Solar Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration, taking place in Las Vegas on 2 February, will bring together top experts from Europe and North America – among them Christian Holter, SOLID (Austria), Steve Hunter, Vanir Energy (California/US), Daniel Mugnier, TECSOL (France), and Tom Lopp, Power Partners, Athens (Georgia/US) …
Task 43: Worldwide Harmonisation of Solar Rating and Certification Procedures
The international harmonisation of norms is advancing: On behalf of operating agent Jan Erik Nielsen from Plan Energi, experts are working on the alignment of EN and ISO norms under Task 43 of the Solar Heating & Cooling Programme managed by the International Energy Agency. Photo: ITW …
