solar_payback_logo

Solar Payback is a three-year Solar Payback project, promoting the use of Solar Heat for Industrial Processes (SHIP) across four partner countries – South Africa, India, Mexico and Brazil. As part of the German International Climate Initiative (IKI), it is raising awareness of the technical and economic potential of SHIP technologies by clear and transparent information on the costs and benefits of SHIP applications and by helping to build selected reference systems. Solar Payback partners with solarthermalworld.org to spread the results of the project to a wider audience.

Supply chain maturity and economies of scale drive solar heat costs down

Supply chain maturity and economies of scale drive solar heat costs down

Europe’s solar thermal industry has achieved quite significant cost reductions since 2014, with economies of scale at the project level helping to drive down costs, Michael Taylor, of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), said at a 9 March webinar titled Cheaper than Electrification: How solar heat will replace oil …
#SolarHeatWomen: Women leaders in the solar thermal sector

#SolarHeatWomen: Women leaders in the solar thermal sector

Every day, women around the world work hard to promote solar thermal technology and solutions. But a clear gender gap persists. And the few women who have made it to the top often do not get the visibility they deserve. To shine a light on their successes, solarthermalworld.org has launched …
solarthermalworld.org finds a new home with solrico

solarthermalworld.org finds a new home with solrico

At the turn of the year, German market research agency solrico became the new owner of global SHC news portal solarthermalworld.org, with the January newsletter being the first to have been sent out under new management. But that’s not all: A new decade of growth lies ahead. In the last …
High expectations in Brazil despite Covid-19 worries

High expectations in Brazil despite Covid-19 worries

The solar thermal market in Brazil grew by about 6 % in 2019, adding 1.32 million m2 (0.93 GWth) despite a turbulent economy. The surge came in part due to new commercial customers that require large quantities of hot water and followed four years of steadily declining sales. Owners of …
Solar heat to be part of IRENA Cost Report 2021

Solar heat to be part of IRENA Cost Report 2021

The latest edition of the Renewable Power Generation Costs Report from the International Renewable Energy Agency IRENA always creates a great deal of interest, worldwide. More than 2,000 stakeholders registered for the webinar on 9 June in which Michael Taylor from IRENA explained the key takeaways from their latest report …
Solar systems dry apricots and supply space heating in northern India

Solar systems dry apricots and supply space heating in northern India

Solar dryers are an excellent investment for farmers drying apricots in India’s northern Himalayan region. These systems can have the fruit ready in just 2 days, whereas drying takes about 20 days out in the open. Called SolDry, they each consist of a 5.2 m2 vacuum tube collector, a 1 …
Growing calls for carbon taxes and mandatory quotas

Growing calls for carbon taxes and mandatory quotas

It has been quite difficult to close deals with clients for putting up industrial solar heat (SHIP) systems, as these types of projects take a long time to be developed. Only 27 out of the nearly 80 companies listed on the SHIP Supplier World Map managed to start up at least …
Where to look for the world’s most experienced SHIP suppliers

Where to look for the world’s most experienced SHIP suppliers

China and Mexico are the hubs of the global solar industrial heat (SHIP) supply industry. Five of the companies that completed the most SHIP projects by the end of 2019 are from China and four from Mexico; another two each are based in Germany and India (see chart above). These …
Industrial sector sees record-breaking capacity additions in 2019

Industrial sector sees record-breaking capacity additions in 2019

In 2019, solar heat capacity additions reached record-breaking levels in industrial sectors around the world, coming to 251 MW in total. The countries at the top of the list were Oman (180 MW), China (53 MW), Mexico (3 MW), India (2 MW) and Germany (1 MW). Ranked by the number …
Industrial solar heat strategy and training

Industrial solar heat strategy and training

The SHIP training course that took place in São Paulo from November 12 to 14 was well-received by those attending it. Almost 40 engineers, planners and industry representatives participated in the three-day event held by Pedro Horta and Fanny Hübner, of ISE – Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems based …
Photo: matters.my

The multiple ways to promote solar heat

The first-ever Intersolar Mexico, which took place in early September, offered a platform to promote solar heat in more ways than one. On the third of this month, a Solar Heat Workshop drew in over 40 industry professionals (see photo). Furthermore, the Heat Changer Challenge was kick started with five …
SWH performance label proposed in India

SWH performance label proposed in India

In mid-August, the Indian Bureau of Energy Efficiency hosted a debate with stakeholders in Bengaluru to discuss its proposed Standards and Labelling (S&L) rules on solar water heaters. The primary objective of the S&L programme will be to allow consumers to make informed choices whenever they buy SWHs that comply …