Technical Study Report on Measuring Remote Monitoring and Remote controlling for Solar Thermal Systems

Technical Study Report on Measuring Remote Monitoring and Remote controlling for Solar Thermal Systems

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The market, media and policy arena often neglect solar thermal, because solar thermal energy is seldom accounted for and the amount of solar thermal heat supplied is neither measured nor displayed in a transparent way. This also results in problems/breakdowns not being spotted quickly. This “Technical study report on measuring, remote monitoring and remote controlling for solar thermal systems” aims at contributing to making measuring, monitoring, and remote controlling more mainstream for smaller systems. Read More...

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Technical Study Report on Solar Thermal Technology LCIA Methods and LCC Models

Technical Study Report on Solar Thermal Technology LCIA Methods and LCC Models

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Solar thermal suffers in the market, the media and in the policy arena, because solar thermal energy is often not accounted for, and amounts of solar thermal heat are not transparently measured and displayed. This also leads to problems/malfunctions not being spotted quickly. This “Technical study report on solar thermal technology LCIA methods and LCC models” aims at contributing to the demonstration of the advantages of solar thermal systems, taking the lifecycle into account. This means assessing both environmental and economic benefits of the systems over their operation period. Read More...

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Strategic Research Priorities for Solar Thermal Technology

Strategic Research Priorities for Solar Thermal Technology

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Europe’s energy future is dependent on our ability to address today tomorrow’s energy challenges. These challenges must be looked at from different angles: the stability and predictability of energy costs; environmental and climatic impact of our energy production and consumption; security of supply and geostrategic political matters related to the control of the energy supply; the capacity to generate local investment and local jobs; and maintaining a technological edge. This will allow Europe to be competitive at global level in the multi-trillion renewable energy market. Today there is still a tendency to equate energy with electricity, even when it only represents less than 25 percent of the final energy consumption in Europe. Read More...

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Solar Heating and Cooling Technology Roadmap

Solar Heating and Cooling Technology Roadmap

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The solar thermal energy sector is at a critical juncture. While solar thermal energy is showing the highest potential among renewable heating and cooling technologies, its share of heating and cooling is still far below 1%. This is against a background of declining or stagnating European solar thermal markets that have ceased growing since 2008. Furthermore, competition from other sources is growing, like electricity being used for heating purposes. Therefore, what will be the future of solar thermal in the European heating and cooling system is an important question. Read More...

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Solar Thermal Cooling

Solar Thermal Cooling

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The demand for cooling may be driven by different aspects, comfort and refrigeration being the most common uses. In fact, the cooling demand is growing worldwide, even in colder climates, as comfort demand rises. This results in an increase in air conditioning mainly for tertiary buildings but also for residential applications. Refrigeration is increasing as well with a wider variety of use, mainly within the food industry. Read More...

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Solar District Heating

Solar District Heating

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District heating is a network providing heat, usually in form of hot water. This heat is mainly used for space heating and for domestic hot water (drinkable water); however, It usually also meets some industrial needs. District heating systems can serve whole cities; when a system is limited to a group of buildings it is referred to as block heating. The main advantage of these systems is that the large district heating plants are more efficient, more economic and create less pollution than decentralized fossil fuel based boilers. Read More...

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Domestic Water Heaters for Social Amenities

Domestic Water Heaters for Social Amenities

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Domestic hot water refers to the heated water used for domestic purposes. Energy consumption for domestic hot water depends on different factors, namely consumption patterns, how much hot water is used and the increase in water temperature required (difference between the inlet and the outlet temperature). We can consider that, on average, the annual energy consumption for domestic hot water in developed countries is around 1000 kWh per person (1). Read More...

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Solar Heat for Industrial Process

Solar Heat for Industrial Process

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When considering industrial needs for heat, usually the first image that comes to mind is that of metallurgy. While some industrial processes require very high temperatures, most of the energy needed for industrial processes requires low or medium-temperature heat. Industrial processes can use low temperature for washing or dyeing textiles. The dairy sector uses heat for washing and pasteurization. Read More...

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Domestic Hot Water for Single & Multi-Family Houses

Domestic Hot Water for Single & Multi-Family Houses

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Domestic hot water refers to the heated water used for domestic purposes. Energy consumption for domestic hot water depends on various factors, i.e. consumption patterns: how much hot water is used and the increase in water temperature required (difference between the inlet and outlet temperature). We can consider that, on average, the annual domestic hot water consumption in developed countries is around 1000 kWh per person(1). Read More...

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A Strategic Planning Guide for Cities in Developing Countries

A Strategic Planning Guide for Cities in Developing Countries

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As the world’s population continues to move into cities and urban energy demand increases, local offi cials – especially those in developing countries – are increasingly under pressure to address a range of energy, economic, and climate priorities. Cities, for example, produce approximately three quarters of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions and account for a similar proportion of the world’s energy demand. Read More...

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