Articles

Integrating Large SHC Systems into District Heating and Cooling Networks
Integrating Large SHC Systems into District Heating and Cooling Networks
July 2021 - PDF 1.16MB
Editor: Pamela Murphy
Publisher: IEA ShC

Integrating large-scale solar thermal plants into district heating and cooling grids is playing a crucial role in many countries’ energy transformation to decarbonize their heating sector. Thermal networks offer a dual solution – increasing energy efficiency in urban areas and integrating renewable energies into the heat supply. The participants in IEA SHC Task 55: Integrating Large Solar Heating and Cooling Systems into District Heating and Cooling Networks worked from 2016–2020 on this topic with a holistic focus on solar systems that supply heating and cooling networks with high thermal shares.
 

Large-Scale Solar Thermal District Heating and Cooling: One on One with Sabine Putz
Large-Scale Solar Thermal District Heating and Cooling: One on One with Sabine Putz
July 2021 - PDF 0.24MB
Publisher: IEA SHC

The SHC Programme wrapped up its third project on large solar systems (Task 55) in December 2020. To learn how the Task impacted this market sector, we’ve asked Sabine Putz, the Austrian Task Operating Agent, to share some of her thoughts on this 4-year project.
 

Large Scale Solar Installations – The Actors & Activities
Large Scale Solar Installations – The Actors & Activities
December 2017 - PDF 0.22MB
Industry and researchers are collaborating to assess how best to integrate large scale solar thermal installations in combination with hybrid technologies into district heating and cooling networks. Besides the international scope of this work, what also makes it unique is that the IEA SHC Programme has teamed up with the IEA District Heating and Cooling Programme to ensure that the right stakeholders are involved.
European SDH Projects – The Next BIG Solar Step
European SDH Projects – The Next BIG Solar Step
December 2016 - PDF 0.14MB
Editor: Pamela Murphy
A team of experts from the city of Graz, Austria, has decided to take a lead in the analysis and evaluation of a major proposed local Solar District Heating (SDH) project to determine if it is technically feasible, is feasible within realistic costs, and if it will even be a profitable business opportunity.