In BriefNew Task Underway on Solar Assisted Cooling
Solar assisted cooling systems for building climitazation have great potential for impacting energy use as more energy is used for cooling buildings than for heating buildings in IEA countries. The new SHC Task on solar cooling will build on existing technologies and past work, in particular, work done in the U.S., Japan and Australia. The Task focus will be on the evaluation of the state-of-the-art, identification of technical problems and the potential for technical improvements, and assessment of the technical and economic potential in varying conditions (building type, climatic zone, user defined requirements). A workshop will be held in February 1998 to discuss market and technology issues and to further define Task work.
Work on Solar Combisystems in the Planning Stage
Solar heating systems for combined domestic hot water and space heating are available, but basic scientific knowledge is lacking on certain aspects. For example, standardized test procedures are not available, which means that it is difficult to obtain meaningful performance ratings and to optimize system performance. The objective of the proposed SHC Programme Task will be to improve the performance and costs of solar combisystems by coordinating research and development. Areas of work are to include simulation tools, standardized test procedures, and development and optimization of system components and concepts.
Sustainable Buildings Workshop
In May 1997, a workshop, hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy, was held to explore if the IEA should initiate collaborative work related to sustainable buildings, and if it should, then how might that work be implemented and coordinated. The workshop was attended by nine representatives from seven European and North American countries. Three key findings were: 1) sustainable buildings are slowly entering the marketplace driven by forces such as, environmental concerns, marketing advantages and client awareness, 2) in the future, important design and construction aspects will be integrated design, indoor air quality and comfort, environmental impacts, land use, and transportation networks, and 3) collaborative R&D and related activities on sustainable buildings should be conducted under the auspices of the IEA. A follow-up workshop is planned for the spring of 1998.
The SHC Programme was highlighted at two international conferences this spring and summer. The first was the ASES Solar '97 conference held during April in Washington, D.C. The Programme Chairman, André De Herde, presented the SHC 20th Anniversary slide show and the Programme exhibit was displayed in the exhibition hall. More than 1,300 people attended the conference. In June, the Programme exhibit was displayed at NorthSun '97, the 7th International Conference on Solar Energy at High Latitudes in Espoo-Otaniemi, Finland.
The SHC Programme was one of several IEA Implementing Agreements featured in an exhibit on Community Energy Options, that was part of the Sustainable Development in Action Exhibition. The Exhibition was a component of the UN Special Session on Sustainable Development, held June 1997 in New York City, to review progress on the Agenda 21 goals of the UN Earth Summit. Thirty exhibits presented potential solutions for merging environmental sustainability with economic growth and social equity. The IEA exhibit focused on approaches available to assist communities in reducing their energy demands, increasing energy efficiency, and reducing the environmental impacts (local to global) of energy use. A special emphasis was placed on the opportunity for non-IEA countries to participate in the work of IEA Implementing Agreements. A broad spectrum of UN Session delegates, observers, media and UN staff visited the booth.
New Publication on Solar Renovation
Improved Solar Renovation Concepts, a Task 20 report, covers a range of solar systems and components analyzed for use in building renovation. Simulations and case studies were used to highlight the potential of solar renovation concepts. The report includes sections on strategies and concepts for solar renovation, simulation results of typical renovation projects, potential impact of these concepts on the building market, and general design guidelines.
To order a copy contact: André De Herde, Architecture et Climat, Université Catholique de Louvain, Place du Levant 1, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, fax: +32-10-47-21-50, e-mail: deherde@arch.ucl.ac.be. Cost: US $25.
Sture Larson of Hörbranz, Austria has received the Austrian State Prize for his energy research. Mr. Larson is an architect and has designed several buildings that are being studied by experts of Task 19, Solar Air Systems. Research results from these buildings and others will be included in the Task's book of case studies which will be published the beginning of 1998.
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