Stuttgart, 29. September 2009. Representatives of the European district heating associations and acknowledged solar experts meet in Stuttgart for launching the EU-project SDHtake-off. In this action, coordinated by the German Steinbeis Research Institute for Solar and Sustainable Thermal Energy Systems Solites, new approaches and instruments for the Europe-wide market introduction of solar district heating will be developed in the coming three years.
Utilities and local district heat suppliers are key actors for the market introduction of solar district heating (SDH). Therefore, five important national district heating associations from Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Italy and the European roof association Euroheat & Power joined with acknowledged experts on the field of solar district heating for the SDHtake-off project. The action aims at the development to the full potential of solar thermal for heat supply via district heating networks to residential and industrial areas. Experts estimate the long term share of solar thermal in district heating up to 5 %, corresponding to an installed collector capacity of 47 GWth and a yearly solar heat production of 100 PJ.
„Quite often solar heating plants are considered as competition to the widely diffused CHP plants. However, more and more heat suppliers recognize the potential of solar thermal for increasing the security of energy supply and fixing operational costs, this beside its contribution to the reduction of CO2-emissions. We count on the advantage, that in this project representatives of both sectors conjointly develop approaches for integrating solar thermal in district heating systems.” says project coordinator Thomas Pauschinger from Solites.
Project partners are the Steinbeis Research Institute for Solar and Sustainable Thermal Energy Systems Solites and the AGFW – The German Heat and Power Association (Germany), Euroheat & Power (Belgium), CIT Energy Management AB (Sweden), Associazione Italiana Riscaldamento Urbano (AIRU) and Ambiente Italia srl (Itay), Association for District Heating of the Czech Republic (ADHCR) and Cityplan spol s.r.o. (Czech Republic), Planenergi and Marstal Fjernvarme A.m.b.a. (Denmark), SOLID Solar Installation and Design GmbH and Energie Graz GmbH & CoKG (Austria). The project results will be disseminated in 18 European countries, in order to support new market actors in more European countries with new activities on this field. The relevance of the project is underlined by the support of the international industry enterprises Danfoss District Heating, Logstor A/S, Arcon Solvarme A/S, Bosch Thermotechnik GmbH, Kloben Solar Evolution, Paradigma Energie- und Umwelttechnik Gmbh&Co.KG, Riello S.p.A, Sunstrip AB, Viessmann Werke GmbH&Co.KG and Wagner & Co Solartechnik GmbH.
Solar district heating plants are a large-scale solar thermal technology supplying renewable, zero-emission heat from large collector fields via district heating networks to residential and industrial areas. Long-term research programmes in Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Austria led to SDH demonstration plants, operating today at feasible heat cost. Twenty years of operational experience, plant technology and know-how are available from these programmes. Since the mid of this decade there is an increased interest in the commercial operation of SDH, mainly by utilities but also from local authorities and the housing sector. SDH presently makes the step into the market.
Pictures (see right column):
SDHtake-off Team, Source: Solites
Europe’s largest solar district heating plant in Marstal, Denmark, Source: Marstal Fjernvarme A.m.b.a.
Solar City Neckarsulm, Source: Solites
Project partners:
1. Steinbeis Research Institute for Solar and Sustainable Thermal Energy Systems Solites (Coordinator)
2. AGFW - The German Heat and Power Association, Germany
3. Euroheat & Power, Belgium
4. CIT Energy Management AB, Sweden
5. Associazione Italiana Riscaldamento Urbano (AIRU), Italy
6. Ambiente Italia srl, Italy
7. Association for District Heating of the Czech Republic (ADHCR), Czech Republic
8. Cityplan spol s.r.o., Czech Republic
9. Planenergi, Denmark
10. Marstal Fjernvarme A.m.b.a., Denmark
11. SOLID Solar Installation and Design GmbH, Austria
12. Energie Graz GmbH & CoKG, Austria
Supported by
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