To celebrate the beginning of the construction works at its new production facility in Bharain, Armacell has hosted a groundbreaking ceremony. When finished in 2018 the new manufacturing facility will produce a comprehensive range of products, including high-density materials and elastomeric insulation for heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems.
Researchers in Sweden have demonstrated efficient solar energy storage in a chemical liquid. The stored energy can be transported and then released as heat whenever needed while the storage medium is fully recovered – a so-called molecular solar thermal system.
The state of California has submitted a bill that would mandate the installation of solar power on all new buildings. Current law only mandates new buildings to be “solar ready” meaning, that there has to be at least 15 % of the roof’s area free of shades. However, at the moment the bill is in the early stage and a lot is still to be figured out.
The solar thermal industry will breathe a sigh of relief after months of uncertainty over the decision of the UK government to drop its plans of removing solar thermal from the Renewable Heat Incentive. The Solar Trade Association worked hard to prevent the removal.
In a video interview recorded at EuroSun 2016, heat storage experts Mohammed Mehdi Farid from the University of Auckland and Wim van Helden from AEE INTEC explain how passive storage technologies and thermo-chemical materials can help to store solar energy for the winter.
A group of 21 organisations called on the British government to end the uncertainty and retain solar thermal in the Renewable Heath Incentive (RHI). In a letter sent to the minister for energy and intellectual property, Baroness Neville-Rolfe, representatives of the solar industry, local governments, manufacturers, housing providers, land owners and environmental groups said that the technology should not be excluded from the support scheme.
In Denmark the largest solar heating solution in the world is well underway. When finished the 156,694 m2 collector field will produce 80.000 MWh annually.
Here you can find a small selection of comprehensive market overvies from the solar thermal sector:
Market Overview: Vacuum Tube Collectors
Market Overview: Flat Plate Collectors
Market Overview: Solar Stations
Photovoltaic Feed