Solar heating and cooling for a sustainable energy future in Europe

Solar thermal energy is a highly valuable source of heating andrepresents a technology that relies on abundant and unlimited energy sources. According to the European Solar Thermal Technology Platform – ESTTP it can potentially cover 50% of heating requirements.This requires the expansion of existing technologies and the developing of new technologies for areas such as buildings and industries. New applications, such as compact seasonal storage, industrial applications (up to 250 ° C) and solar cooling, then, require research.

Nowadays, the need for heating and cooling stands for 49% of energy requirements in Europe and refers mostly to medium-low temperatures (up to 250°C); technologies needed to cover almost completely these requirements are already available or can be developed; solar thermal applications are not dependent on limited sources as solar energy is available everywhere and, finally, solar thermal energy is already an advanced technology for sanitary hot water and heating.

In a vision projected by 2030 - source ESTIF (European Solar Thermal Industry Federation) - solar thermal can cover 50% of heating requirements, if this requirement is first reduced by energy saving measures. First of all, energy requirements can be reduced by 40% and then this request can be covered to 50% in the long term (circa 2050) by the sun.

To achieve this aim it is necessary to develop and implement new applications, including the construction of new buildings with integrated solar systems, the renovation of existing buildings, industrial applications up to 250 ° C and the use of solar heat for heating and cooling systems.
Finally, main challenges for research are represented by the development of compact long-term efficient heat storage, the development of new materials for solar systems and the improvement of solar cooling, solar collectors for high temperature and solar desalination.

Source: European Solar Thermal Technology Platform - ESTTP