Global Solar Thermal Energy Council -

Solar Thermal Hot Water Systems in New York City (2011)

Dan Fernandez — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:43:43 +0100

This report was written by the Community Environmental Center (CEC), which aids in the development and expansion of energy efficient infrastructure. With the support of two solar energy companies, Community Environmental Center installed 18 solar thermal water heating systems in multi-family and commercial buildings in New York City. That project prompted CEC to write this report, which provides technical and economic information on solar thermal water heating.

Portugal: Full Architectural Integration of Solar Thermal Technology

Baerbel Epp — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:24:29 +0100

The architectural integration of solar thermal collectors has long been a concern to the industry. Portuguese company Sunaitec has now patented a new solution for the residential sector. According to General Manager Amílcar Lopes, 25 systems with the so-called ‘Multifunction Solar Structures’ have already been installed in Portugal. A first installation is also planned in Brazil. Sunaitec has been showcasing the multi-purpose solar thermal systems on several international events, including the Expo 2010 Shanghai and the GreenSolutions 2011 in Mexico.
Photo: Sunaitec

China's Solar Thermal Industry: Threat or Opportunity for European Companies? (2003)

Raquel Costa — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:24:19 +0100

This is an article wrote by Li Hua from the Netherlands Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation. Li Hua speaks about the Chinese solar thermal market and how it has experienced a fantastic growth without any government subsidies.

Solar Thermal Systems – For Domestic Hot Water (2011)

Dan Fernandez — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:10:47 +0100

This document was created by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. It extols on the benefits of solar thermal system usage for NY state residents in their homes, and provides resources for consumers to learn more about systems.

Bulgaria: Great Demand for Solar Thermal Credit Funds

Baerbel Epp — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 11:00:00 +0100

On the state level, Bulgaria is lagging behind in making use of the funds provided by the EU. Only Romania ranks worse in the comparison of EU member states. But how are things going for the Bulgarian population – do they fare better than their authorities in utilising the available EU funds to improve energy efficiency in their homes? Solarthermalworld.org spoke with Bulgarian bankers about their experience when it comes to supporting Bulgarian home owners with loans and grants for energy-efficient measures. The scheme supporting solar thermal systems in residential buildings is the Bulgarian Residential Energy Efficiency Credit Line (REECL) (see database of incentive programmes). Small-size commercial projects are financed by the Bulgarian Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Credit Line (BEERECL).

Commercial Solar Water Heating California (2010)

Dan Fernandez — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 17:02:44 +0100

This brochure was created by San Francisco Environment, a department of San Francisco County and City government. It provides information on solar thermal water heating for commercial and business use. Two solar thermal government incentives are detailed, more of which can be found here.

Howard Johns Speaks About the UK Grant Schemes

Raquel Costa — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 09:42:53 +0100

In this interview, Howard Johns, from Southern Solar, speaks about the UK Solar Trade Association and the different grant schemes in the UK like the renewable heat incentive, the green deal, among other.

Please visit our YouTube Channel for more Solarthermalworld.org Interviews

India’s First Reliable Solar Map Coming Soon

Baerbel Epp — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 07:00:00 +0100

Until now, there has not been any reliable data on solar radiation levels in India. This is why developers of solar power and solar process heat installations usually refer to NASA and its satellite images when it comes to identifying the locations with the best solar radiation and to forecast the solar yield of a planned system. However, the US space agency’s radiation maps are not as adequate as they might seem to be. Developers of solar power plants have already observed differences between the actual power output and the forecast from satellite data. A new research project supported by the German development agency is now thought to fill the gap. Within the next two years, the SolMap project should be able to offer a solar map of India. The photo shows one of the monitoring stations of the Indian Centre for Wind Energy Technology (C-WET).
Photo: C-Wet

Break-even Cost for Residential Solar Water Heating in the United States: Key Drivers and Sensitivities (2011)

Dan Fernandez — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:09:34 +0100

This technical report was written by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). It examines the technology and economics that determine whether the cost of energy saved by a residential solar thermal hot water heating system will equal the cost of purchasing electricity or natural gas generated heat from the grid. This is known as the break-even cost.

Getting into Hot Water in the United States: The Case of EnerWorks (2011)

Dan Fernandez — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:00:54 +0100

This case study was written by Ryan Walter of Ryerson University and was published by the Entrepreneurial Practice Review. It is a business case study on the beginnings of the expansion of Canadian based solar thermal hot water heating company EnerWorks.