Economic tailwind for large flat plate collector producers globally
by Bärbel Epp

Consolidation among the global solar thermal industry continued in 2021. The 20 largest flat plate collector manufacturers managed to increase production by 15 % last year, up from 9% in the previous year.

Certification and labelling: Experts answer questions from the industry
by Bärbel Epp

Labelling of products supports customers in taking the right decisions. For solar collectors in Europe, Solergy is such a quality label. It shows how much collectors can contribute to a CO₂-free heat supply in different locations and at different temperature levels.

The big names in Spain’s picking up industrial solar heat market
by Alejandro Diego Rosell

The latest call for solar heat projects in service and industry in Spain created quite intensive sales activities for technology providers. A handful of Spanish companies will provide the technology and installation services for most of the approved industrial solar heat projects. 

Zero CAPEX solar heat for Mexican industry
by Alejandro Diego Rosell

The Mexican project developer Inventive Power has completed what is reportedly the “first solar generated vapour purchase agreement in Latin America”. The Zero CAPEX model, similar to an ESCO agreement for heating, offers high investment return rates. 

Emission-free heat supply for new building area in Austria
by Andreas Kühl

For an emission-free energy supply for new and existing buildings on industrial wasteland in Austria, the project developers use the Zero Emission Building Design with PVT collectors and a cold district heating network.

How to get renewable energy to buildings in dense urban areas
by Elena Engelniederhammer

On 23 March 2022, the first industry workshop organised by IEA SHC Task 66 showcased an innovative energy supply system for a newly built neighbourhood based on solar collectors, a cold district heating network and an ice storage.

Construction imminent on solar heat plant for leisure resort
by Bärbel Epp

Construction is about to start on a 77 MW solar heat plant for the Water World leisure resort in Handan, northern China. The materials for the 110,000 m² field of parabolic trough collectors are already on site.

Policy supports gains for the Chinese solar thermal industry
by Bärbel Epp

The Chinese solar thermal industry has ended its downslide. The driving factors were central hot water and space heating projects for the housing industry and trade-in offers for householders.

High fossil fuel prices and generous support drive up demand in France
by Frank Stier

2021 seems to mark a trend change in metropolitan France. The newly added capacity in 2021 increased by 70 % to 78,820 m². The highest growth was recorded in the field of large-scale installations.