A special start to EuroSun2026: IEA SHC expert meetings and anniversary celebration

August 25, 2026

It is well worth arriving in Freiburg, Germany, a day early for EuroSun2026! On Monday, 14 September, a series of expert meetings for different Tasks of the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme (IEA SHC) will take place throughout the day, offering a unique opportunity to connect with experts from across the solar heating and cooling community, exchange knowledge, discuss ongoing work and shape future activities. The covered topics range from life cycle assessment of heating solutions to fuel production via photo reactors and compact thermal energy storages. The day will culminate in the evening with the 30^th anniversary reception of EuroSun starting at 6 pm.
Photo/Graphics: Pa-ID Process, ZHAW University, Stellenbosch University, Rubitherm

The workshop will be divided into two parts. The first part will be focused on the methodologies and results which were developed over the last three years within Task 71 on Life cycle and cost assessment for heating and cooling technologies. A short discussion about how the results are displayed and how they will be accepted will end the first part. Afterwards we will identify and discuss what evidence, perspectives, or partners are still missing and how we can extend our current knowledge base.
Online registration here

The meeting will be organized as a full-day working session dedicated to the development and evaluation of key performance indicators (KPIs), building on the discussions and outcomes of our previous expert meeting.
The agenda will begin with 2 to 3 introductory presentations highlighting the KPIs developed and evaluated within the Task. The remainder of the morning will be dedicated to hands-on work within the individual working groups. In the afternoon, the groups will come together to exchange results, discuss common approaches, and work towards harmonizing the proposed KPIs.
Registration: The task meeting is open to experts from the IEA SHC member countries. If interested, please contact task manager Bettina Muster-Slawitsch b.muster@aee.at.

The Task 73 workshop of the IEA SHC Programme will bring participants together to review progress and coordinate the work ahead. The morning session will focus on a discussion and review of the work plan and deliverables, including a clear allocation of responsibilities: Who will contribute to which report? After lunch, participants will join breakout sessions focusing on three key topics:

Air Heating PVT; Design thinking, what will the market ask for and how can we provide that information?
Educational Material; explaining the information on the fact sheet to specific peer groups
Go live of PVT Examples; last steps to present our examples

Registration: The task meeting is open to experts from the IEA SHC member countries. If interested please contact task manager Korbinian Kramer pvt@ise.fraunhofer.de

Industries developing thermal energy storage technologies face ongoing challenges in optimising material and component performance. This workshop brings industry representatives together with experts from the International Energy Agency’s thermal energy storage Tasks.
Through a series of short presentations, experts will share recent advances in materials and components for high-temperature sensible, phase change, and thermochemical energy storage. These insights will provide a basis for discussion: What are the key challenges in industry today, and what support is needed to accelerate development and innovation?
If you work in the thermal energy storage industry, you are warmly invited to share your challenges, experiences, and wishes at the workshop.
Registration: Please send a short e-mail with name and affiliation to w.vanhelden@aee.at and Christoph.Rathgeber@zae-bayern.de