All polymeric thermosiphon system
IEA-SHC Task 39 INFO Sheet B8
May 2015 - PDF 0.38MB
The challenge to develop a thermosiphon system (TSS) based on polymeric materials was background of the EU FP7 research project SCOOP. A patent related to two TSS designs based on extruded, structured polymeric sheets was submitted for evaluation [1]. The present INFO Sheet deals with the Aventa TSSconcept only. The second was presented in Piekarczyk et al., 2014 [3]. Major advantages using polymeric materials are: low material costs, advanced processing techniques allowing mass production and low manufacturing costs, low weight, easier handling, transport and installation.

AventaSolar collector system
IEA-SHC Task 39 INFO Sheet B16
May 2015 - PDF 0.6MB
The motivation for the development of the AventaSolar concept was to offer architecturally appealing and cost competitive solutions for solar thermal energy production to the end user.

Conceptual solar domestic hot water systems
IEA-SHC Task 39 INFO Sheet B12
May 2015 - PDF 0.34MB
A workshop was held to identify concepts for solar thermal systems with polymeric collector suitable for further cost reductions of solar domestic hot water preparation and to show possibilities of the extended use of polymeric materials in the solar thermal system, including the solar circuit and buffer storage.

Developing plastic-based solar collectors for the volume market
IEA-SHC Task 39 INFO Sheet B15
May 2015 - PDF 0.39MB
Recent estimates have shown a steadily rising need for solar collector panels worldwide, from 10 to 15 percent annually. By 2020 the annual demand for collector surface is thought to be around 200 to 400 million square meters. This demand will be met with great difficulty only, if at all, when relying on conventional aluminum or copper panels. Materials for traditional collector panels are scarce and, therefore, too expensive to produce or sell collectors as an affordable mass product. Sunlumo’s R&D is geared to bridge this gap between the two poles – of a sufficient raw material supply on the one hand and of low prices for the volume market on the other. Their R&D is thus focused on innovative technologies, new materials such as polymers, and manufacturing options for the mass market.

Fully Polymeric Thermosiphon System
IEA-SHC Task 39 INFO Sheet B7
May 2015 - PDF 0.41MB
While the development of fully polymeric collectors is proceeding very well, one of the major questions to address is the integration of polymeric collectors into existing systems. Considering the large number of thermosiphon systems sold worldwide, in many regions the focus should be on the development of costefficient thermosiphon systems. Comparing the actual market situation, the requirements on a thermosiphon system from the consumers point of view can be summarized: low investment costs, small systems for easy modular expansion and direct usability.

Ideas for design and manufacturing of plastic storage tanks
IEA-SHC Task 39 INFO Sheet B14
May 2015 - PDF 0.33MB
In the last years plastic solar collectors have been developed and manufactured by various companies. Plastic pipes are used in these solar systems (PP, PEX, CPVC) but storage tanks are still mainly metallic. This info sheet presents some ideas for manufacturing low cost thermoplastic pressure storage -tanks for DHW solar systems.

Polymeric solar heating systems Building integration and scalability of components
IEA-SHC Task 39 INFO Sheet B13
May 2015 - PDF 0.52MB
Polymeric materials for solar thermal applications open the way for new processing techniques that can provide modular and scalable solutions for solar thermal collectors and system components. During the Subtask B Industry Workshop at the 15th SHC Task 39 Experts Meeting in March 2013 in Mallorca, participants investigated which products could be found in the market. In a brainstorming session, experts examined how various scalable polymeric solar thermal components could be combined into a complete system and how the system could be presented to a broad professional audience.

Thermal loads at components of state-of-the-art flat-plate collectors
IEA-SHC Task 39 INFO Sheet B9
May 2015 - PDF 0.66MB
Apart from the maximum absorber temperature according to DIN EN ISO 9806 (2014), the thermal loads inside solar-thermal collectors are widely unknown. However, the use of cost-effective polymers requires a detailed knowledge about the thermal conditions the collector components are facing. Therefore, a conventional solar-thermal system integrated in a four person one-family house was analyzed in a fieldtesting (cf. Reiter et al. 2010). The house was equipped with a solar hot water and space heating system with 20m² of standard flat-plate collectors.

UNISOL – solar combistore evaluation and optimization
IEA-SHC Task 39 INFO Sheet B18
May 2015 - PDF 0.34MB
UNISOL is a national project aiming at the development of an innovative, autonomous and intelligent universal system for management and accumulation of solar heat that can practically use any solar collector in the market. The system will simultaneously pre-heat domestic water (DHW) and space heating (SH). The main component is a combistore which includes a two-way heat exchanger.

UNISOL – universal solar system for pre-heating water
IEA-SHC Task 39 INFO Sheet B17
May 2015 - PDF 0.37MB
In any solar thermal system, from the absorption, accumulation and distribution sub-systems, accumulation is the one that defines the principles and controls the other two and thus, the overall efficiency of the system. From this assumption, the Unisol project aims to develop an integrated set of R&D activities to design a universal, innovative, independent and intelligent system that manages the accumulation of heat that is capable of using almost any solar collector. This system is intended for pre-heating domestic hot water (DHW) as well as for low-temperature space heating, and also to simplify integrated systems (IS) for the support of individual subsystems in multifamily housing buildings. The project introduces several new peculiarities, such as its unique principles of universality and integration inside and outside of buildings and a reversible heat-exchanger circuit. The main promoter is JPrior - Fábrica de Plásticos Lda, a private Portuguese company, Aveiro University and the National Laboratory of Energy and Geology (LNEG).

Polymeric Solar Collectors or Heat Pump? – Lessons Learned from Passive Houses in Oslo
Volume 48, 2014, Pages 914–923
March 2014
Editor: Andreas Häberle
Publisher: Elsevier Ltd.
--- Energy monitoring has been performed for two passive houses in Oslo during 2012-2013. One house is heated by a solar heating system, the other with an air-to-water heat pump. The objective has been to investigate the need for additional energy supply in order to provide the required indoor comfort and prepare domestic hot water. If corrected for differences in domestic hot water consumption and indoor temperature the two houses require almost equal amounts of auxiliary energy. The solar energy gain would increase significantly if the solar collectors were placed more appropriate, with less shading due to neighboring buildings and vegetation. Both heating technologies could improve performance with minor system adaptations. It was shown that solar thermal heating can compete with heat pump techology even for locations as far north as Oslo, Norway.

Leistungsanforderungen an Polymermaterialien
ee-erneuerbare energie 2013-01
January 2013
Publisher: AEE - Arbeitsgemeinschaft ERNEUERBARE ENERGIE - Dachverband
--- Eine wichtige Voraussetzung zur Nutzung von Polymerwerkstoffen in solarthermischen Anlagen ist die genaue Kenntnis der Leistungsanforderungen an die jeweiligen Komponenten und die dafür eingesetzten Werkstoffe ...

Drucklose, entleerende solarthermische Systeme für Kunststoffkollektoren
ee-erneuerbare energie 2011-01
January 2011
Publisher: AEE - Arbeitsgemeinschaft ERNEUERBARE ENERGIE - Dachverband
--- In Österreich sind traditionsgemäß vorwiegend geschlossene, druckbehaftete thermische Solarsysteme im Einsatz, wobei die Komponenten des Solarkreises überwiegend in konventionellen Materialien ausgeführt sind. Ein vermehrter Einsatz von Polymerwerkstoffen bei Kollektoren und Systemen bedingt weitgehend drucklose Systeme nach dem Drain-Backprinzip. Zielsetzung dieses IEA SHC Task39-Projektes war es, drucklose Systeme mit dem Fokus auf die Entwicklung von Vollkunststoffsystemen, in einem Vergleich mit Standardsystemen, näher zu betrachten ...

Pufferspeicher in Modulbauweise mit bis zu 50 m³ Speichervolumen
2. Solarthermie-Technologiekonferenz, Berlin, Germany
January 2010
Presentation is available as PDF-file and online video. Image: © Creventis Services 2010