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:
Ammonia recovery to serve as fertilizer and energy fuel
Production of ammonia as a fertilizer is a huge global industry with an enormous energy demand. The Austrian institute AEE INTEC has successfully operated a membrane distillation (MD) pilot plant 24/7 at a municipal waste water treatment plant (see photo). It has the potential to gain ammonia with a lot …
Testing of improved thermochemical storage in a real environment
The session Emerging Heat and Cold Storages during the ISEC conference in April in Austria was a deep dive into thermochemical heat storage. Two speakers from the German research project Heat2Share presented technical improvements at the material, component and system levels of a thermochemical storage unit used in district heating …
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. In close …
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 …
Guidelines for wastewater treatment technologies in preparation
Operating a wastewater treatment plant is a complex task in itself. If you start thinking about using solar energy to drive certain separation or disinfection processes, the task becomes even more challenging (as the graphic above shows). Water treatment plant operators who want to harness more solar energy would benefit …
EuroSun 2022 in Germany: Call for papers
The University of Kassel will host EuroSun 2022 in Germany between 25 and 29 September. The conference will be jointly organised by the International Solar Energy Society (ISES) and the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling (IEA SHC) Programme. Monday to Wednesday are reserved for technology, market and policy-related sessions on …
“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 …
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. “Our plan is to develop joint marketing and communication campaigns, and the relaunch of the GSCN website will be the first output from this new alliance,” GSCN …
IEA SHC Award 2022 recognises outstanding social housing projects
The IEA SHC Solar Award 2022 will recognise an organisation or individual that implemented a solar heating or cooling project in the last five years to cut energy consumption and costs in social housing. In order to win, the nominees will have to demonstrate that the use of solar thermal …
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. The tool explains more than 150 retrofit measures, which range from increasing a building’s energy efficiency to providing solar energy on site. With just a few clicks, users will get solutions tailored …
#EnergyEfficientLighting: Dynamic research group publishes 16 reports
The success of highly energy-efficient lighting designs hinges on more than technological ingenuity. Other key make-or-break factors are smart control strategies and the interaction of lighting users with the built environment. Under the auspices of the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme, both of these factors were now thoroughly analysed …
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. Currently, however, project developers use a large number of simulation tools, whose results may differ …
