countries are thus suitable for targeted
efforts to use solar systems in existing,
as well as new, block and district heating
systems. Note that there has already
been significant development of the
solar heating markets in Germany and
France, while the market developments
in the U.K., Poland and Netherlands are
yet to come.
A major reason to promote solar
heat in a district heating system is to
increase the share of renewable heat and
decrease the use of fossil fuels. If we
consider European countries with the
greatest potential to increase renewable
energy use, we can then add the Czech
Republic, Hungary, Slovak Republic and
Romania to those countries suitable for
targeted efforts to use solar systems in
existing, as well as new, block and district
heating systems.
In Europe to date, the dominant
large-scale solar heating systems are in
The potential for solar district
heating in Europe has been
estimated at about 2 PJ by 2020.
new block heating-only plants and small
existing district heating-only plants. The
dominant applications so far include
diurnal heat storage. If solar heating is
to reach its potential in Europe, it is a
prerequisite that ( 1) solar systems be
installed to a greater extent in small as
well as large existing district heating
systems and ( 2) systems with seasonal
heat storage also be used to a greater
extent. Achieving these prerequisites
will help ensure that solar energy plays
a key role in helping Europe meet its
aggressive goals for renewable energy use.
The author acknowledges the Swedish
Energy Agency for its financial support of
his work for the European Solar Thermal
Technology Platform and also his colleagues
in the ESTTP’s Solar District Heating
working group for their contributions.
Jan-Olof Dalenbäck is professor
of building services engineering,
Department of Energy and Environment, at Chalmers University of
Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden.
He has specialized in the evaluation,
planning and design of solar heating systems for
more than 20 years, and his work has resulted in
the successful transfer of solar thermal technologies in Sweden and other countries. Dalenbäck
has been recognized for his outstanding contributions to the solar energy field by the International Energy Agency’s Solar Heating & Cooling
Programme, which presented him with its 2005
Solar Award. He currently serves as vice president
of the International Solar Energy Society and is
a member of the steering committee of the
European Solar Thermal Technology Platform.
He may be reached at jan-olof.dalenback@
chalmers.se.
