Cooling Buildings With Solar Heat

Solar air conditioning an up and coming trend at estec2009

MUNICH and PFORZHEIM, Germany, Feb. 17 /PRNewswire/ – Intersolar 2009, Munich, May 27 – 29, 2009 — Up and coming markets such as the solar air conditioning market are among the major themes of the 4th European Solar Thermal Energy Conference estec2009, which will take place in Munich on May 25 and 26. estec is the largest international conference for solar thermal technology and an international forum for representatives of industry, associations, research and politics. As was the case with estec2007, the event will take place in the run-up to the world’s largest trade show for solar technology, Intersolar.

Demand for cooling systems is growing extremely rapidly. This growth is driving up worldwide demand for electricity, especially in the warmer climatic zones. As a consequence, interest in innovative, energy-saving technologies such as solar thermal is also growing. The principal function of solar thermal systems is actually to convert solar energy into useful heat energy. However, this heat energy can also be used for the energy-efficient air conditioning of buildings.

Rising electricity prices are creating increased interest in alternative cooling

Sales of air conditioning systems with a cooling capacity of up to 5 kW almost doubled between 2002 and 2007, rising from 44 to 75 million systems. This increasing demand for cooling capacity, coupled with the rising cost of electricity, is creating additional interest in innovative and sustainable technologies such as solar thermal air conditioning of buildings. The electricity consumption of conventional air conditioning systems is very high. In addition, they are subject to increasing criticism, not only due to the use of problematic cooling agents such as CFCs but also due to the CO2 emissions they cause. The solar thermal cooling of buildings, on the other hand, makes use of natural resources and protects the environment. Unlike conventional cooling systems, which draw electrical energy from the electricity grid, solar air conditioning is powered by solar heat. This heat is obtained using solar collectors. The basis for solar thermal cooling is the thermochemical process known as sorption. The cooling energy is generated either by the adherence of the vaporized cooling agent (generally water) to a solid (adsorption) or by the incorporation of the cooling agent into a solvent mixture (absorption). Solar heat is then introduced to force the cooling agent out of the solution or solid, so that the process can be repeated.

Water is generally used as the cooling agent in these systems as it is environmentally friendly and has no negative effects on the climate. Solar air conditioning therefore not only saves energy; it is also an efficient way of protecting the climate. In addition, buildings require the most cooling at the hottest times of the day and in sunnier southern regions. It is a further advantage of solar air conditioning that the greatest demand for air conditioning exists where solar irradiation is at its highest.

1.4 to 2 kilowatt hours of solar heat are required for the production of one kilowatt hour of cooling energy. However, as solar heat does not have to be purchased from an electricity supplier at great cost, this efficiency ratio does not represent a serious problem for the new technology. The initial outlay costs, which are still high, and the consequently long amortization periods represent challenges for solar air conditioning; but they are challenges which can be met. According to the European scientists involved in the European Solar Thermal Technology Platform (ESTTP), which was set up at estec2005: “rising electricity prices and more and more efficient systems mean that mid-term prospects are excellent in this sector.”

estec2009 – trends and challenges in the European solar thermal sector

The prospects of solar air conditioning and other big issues facing the solar thermal industry are among the central themes of the 4th European Solar Thermal Energy Conference estec2009. The conference is organized by the European Solar Thermal Industry Federation (ESTIF) and will take place on May 25 and 26, 2009, at the Bayrischer Hof hotel in Munich. As the world’s largest international conference focusing exclusively on solar heating and cooling, The conference will feature specialist presentations on technological trends and global and national market developments and is aimed at the decision makers of the sector, including representatives of industry, commerce, the associations and politics. There will also be plenty of time and scope for networking – beyond European borders. The organizers are expecting around 600 expert visitors from over 50 countries to attend. ESTIF is presenting a growing industry which has a turnover of around two billion euros a year and which provides more than 30,000 jobs in Europe – and both these figures are set to continue to rise.

The continued cooperation with the world’s largest solar technology trade show Intersolar 2009 provides innovative solar thermal companies with the opportunity to present themselves to a wide target audience – beyond the scope of the conference itself – and ensures that both events and the companies involved gain a maximum of international attention.

For further information on Intersolar 2009, please visit www.intersolar.de.

For further information on ESTIF and estec2009, please visit www.estif.org / www.estec2009.org.

Sponsors of Intersolar 2009:

Intersolar 2009 is supported by the leading solar industry associations: the German Solar Industry Association (BSW), as the exclusive partner of Intersolar, the German Solar Energy Society (DGS), the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA), the European Solar Thermal Industry Federation (ESTIF) and the International Solar Energy Society (ISES).

About Intersolar:

The Intersolar brand is internationally recognized as the leading event for the solar energy industry. The two events, Intersolar in Munich and Intersolar North America, are jointly organized by Solar Promotion GmbH and Freiburg Wirtschaft Touristik und Messe GmbH & Co. KG and their North American subsidiaries and serve the entire international solar supply chain and global solar industry. Intersolar in Munich, held annually, is the world’s largest solar exhibition with 1,300 exhibitors – currently from 38 countries – across 1,076,000 sq. ft. of exhibition space and 60,000 visitors expected in 2009. Intersolar North America 2009, also held annually, will feature about 400 exhibitors across more than 90,000 sq. ft. of exhibition space and 15,000 visitors.

About estec2009/ESTIF:

The European Solar Thermal Energy Conference estec2009 is the largest conference of its kind in the world. It is organized every two years by the European Solar Thermal Industry Federation (ESTIF).

SOURCE Intersolar