SHC Reports

This report proposes an integrated framework for stakeholder engagement in solar neighborhoods, informed by practical insights from behavioral science (a practice known as behavioral design). It includes insights from behavioral science and detail how their application can enrich participatory processes, contextualizing these insights to the case of solar neighborhood planning. A stakeholder ENGAGEment-behavioral Design framework (ENGAGED), was developed. This framework is intended to inform engagement processes in solar neighborhood planning and highlight how several phases in the development of a solar project can be informed by engagement activities and citizen participation.

Since solar neighborhoods often span multiple land use spaces, local community members are key stakeholders in these developments. As such, involving the community can help promote and accelerate the investment and dissemination of these developments. In doing so, certain solar neighborhood business models can include individuals who otherwise cannot gain direct benefits from solar projects due to not having the ability to purchase their own solar equipment.

Within the framework of IEA SHC Task 63, business models were developed to be flexible in terms of who sponsors the project versus who ultimately owns/hosts the completed development. This allows for models where community members can be involved in some way - either as sponsors of the project or as part of a customer base leasing or subscribing to the project's output.

This report focuses on efficient data gathering, storage, distribution, and validation, covering data management topics- from sensor selection to permanent data storage. The report is mainly targeted at system designers and plant operators, aiming to provide checklists and recommendations on these topics.

This report aims to foster the utilization of renewable technologies in solar buildings by identifying the technologies and possible combinations of technologies already in use.

Solar thermal technologies have been recognized as a reliable option for delivering process heat to industrial processes (Farjana et al. 2018; Sharma et al. 2017), and have been a subject of study in two previous Tasks of the Solar Heating and Cooling Program (SHC), Task 33 and Task 49, and it represents a permanent task in Solar- PACES: Task IV. Despite the efforts and progress achieved to build new knowledge and reduce the entry barriers that solar thermal technologies face in the heat market for industry, the number of solar heat plants coupled with industrial processes is less than 1,000 installations (Weiss and Spörk-Dür 2020). In that context, since 2020, Task 64/IV has started a collaborative effort bringing together the experience from professionals, project developers, and scientists, aiming to address part of the entry barriers that hinder the further development of the market.

Listen to leading experts within solar district heating. Live from Härnösand, Sweden.

https://vimeo.com/868271579?utm_campaign=Task68%20October9&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=277846125&utm_content=277846125&utm_source=hs_email

This document is the final report for activity B2 “Design guidelines” of the IEA SHC Task 65 “Solar Cooling for the Sunbelt regions”. It presents the collection of design and system integration guidelines for solar cooling projects. For this purpose, a comprehensive questionnaire was created that goes into detail about various solar cooling components, design, sizing and other sub-systems such as heat rejection unit and cold distribution system. Data from 10 case studies are collected and presented showing the performance of solar cooling systems with varying boundary conditions. Additionally, three different case studies, each with their own scope and unique characteristics, are discussed.

In the new buildings, almost only LED systems are now being designed. The majority of existing plants, on the other hand, have not yet been converted to LED technology and hold great and often easy-to-develop climate protection potential: so-called “Low Hanging Fruits”. In the conversion forced by the phasing out of fluorescent lamps (e.g., in the EU this year, 2023), the main question is whether “transitional solutions” in the form of LED replacement lamps make sense or whether it would be better to switch to more powerful LED lights right away. However, the focus of renovations is not solely on the high efficiency of the LEDs. New control options should also be considered wherever possible in coordination with the most sustainable light source, daylight. In addition, the understanding of user needs has evolved in recent years [1], so that, with proper planning, renovations also ensure an improved and performance-enhancing quality of stay with increased visual comfort in rooms.

This is the final report on activity C1, “Design tools and models” of the IEA SHC Task 65 “Solar Cooling for the Sunbelt regions”. The work involved reviewing and adapting tools and models for technical and financial assessment and design for solar cooling and the project phases from pre-feasibility to simulation to monitoring. The main focus is the documentation of the tools and their specific application to provide measured data for validating the tools and the adaptation of selected ones for Sunbelt countries.

This document is the final report on activity B5 "Lessons learned (technical and non-technical)." Within Subtask B, Activity B5 involved identifying and documenting lessons learned, both technical and non-technical, to create a summary for dissemination in Subtask D. The primary objective was to collect trustworthy data and gain valuable insights from various stakeholders. A survey was conducted to gather information on stakeholder’s requirements, expectations, and specific circumstances that may prompt the utilization of solar cooling. The survey's primary objective was to identify crucial factors influencing the adoption of solar cooling technologies across different applications and regions. The gathered information was then analyzed to better comprehend the challenges, needs, and desires of the stakeholders involved.

This document is the final report on activity A4 “Building and process optimization” of the IEA SHC Task 65 “Solar Cooling for the Sunbelt regions”. It presents an overview on the relevance of building and process optimization..Several ongoing and completed projects are introduced and results are depicted. In particular, information about completed and running research projects are presented in order to quantify the amount of energy used for cooling systems. Furthermore, main projects related to the IEA EBC (Buildings and Communities Programme) about cooling.
systems are reported.
 

In general, climatic conditions and typical applications for (solar) cooling heavily depend on the location. In order to be able to deduce regionally specific requirements for solar cooling systems, it is therefore obvious to use geographical data. To process such data a Geographic information system (GIS) is needed. GIS are able to capture, store, check, and display data related to positions on Earth’s surface. Most geographical data relevant for this application are already available from various sources, such as solar radiation data, climatic data, population data etc.

In activity A1 a GIS software was used to combine geographic data in a way that local reference boundary conditions for solar cooling systems in the Sunbelt regions can be determined and also used for evaluation. The developed method can also be used to create information about possible locations and potentials of specific solar cooling systems. By additionally using for example population density and purchase power data a base for future market potential studies on certain products / technologies is provided. As a result potential sites can be identified as well as economic factors can be considered in order to identify (future) markets.

Many results from the ongoing research project “Solar thermal energy system for cooling and process heating in the sunbelt region – SBC” have been included into this Task. The project is carried out by two partners: Industrial Solar GmbH and the Bavarian Center for Applied Energy Research (ZAE Bayern). It was funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) under the project number 03ETW026. The developed method was used to determine possible locations and potentials for the SBC system as a first example. It is planned to use the developed method in the further course of the task work.

Energy statistics usually include data on the amount of solar thermal energy installed in terms of thermal power (kWth). While solar thermal installations often are only characterized by the installed collector area (m²). To address this inconsistency between data, a simple conversion factor is needed to convert the installed area (m²) into the approximate corresponding installed thermal power (kWth). Such a conversion factor exists for stationary solar thermal collectors but has yet to be established for tracked concentrating collectors. This paper details a conversion factor for tracked concentrating solar thermal collectors developed in the IEA SHC Task 64 / IEA SolarPACES Task IV on Solar ProcessHeat and the underlying reasoning.

The Solar Decathlon is a competition for universities from all over the world which focuses on designing, building and operating experimental, solar-powered houses. Participating in the project offers universities a unique and interdisciplinary platform for teaching, learning and research which combines practical experience with research. In 2022, the European edition was held in Germany for the first time. The event took place with a new urban profile to increase both the relevance of the competition and the learning experience. Its main topic was the further development of the European city, and specifically focused on the existing stock of residential apartment buildings. A total of 18 teams from 11 countries with over 500 students took part, with 16 teams ultimately building their houses on a shared solar campus. Demonstrating a balanced or a positive energy balance in practice was one of the essential goals of the competition. This was achieved by 13 of 15 projects in the energy contest. The prerequisites for this were a high level of energy efficiency and the consistent use of solar energy. Both strategies were embedded in convincing architectural concepts. These ranged from the minimised visibility of standard systems on rooftops, through to custom-built systems with full architectural integration in façades. Hybrid solar systems also became a focus, with the goal of making optimum use of the surfaces on the building envelope. This paper focuses on the energy engineering and technical and architectural integration of the solar systems. It also includes the results achieved in the competition linked to the learning experience.

Scientific Article 

The main objective of the Subtask B in the new Task 64/IV is the definition of modularized and normalized components/subsystems for applications in the field of Solar Heat for industrial Processes (SHIP), e.g. for the balance of plant (BOP), solar field, thermal energy storage and hydraulic circuit.

This report has been completed through international collaboration under the International Energy Agency (IEA) Solar Heating and Cooling (SHC) Programme - Task 63 on Solar Neighborhood Planning. Specifically, the work contributes to Task 63 Subtask B - Economic Strategies and Stakeholder Engagement by identifying and discussing the potential usage of different urban surfaces in harvesting solar energy. Special focus has been placed on the identification of conflicts and synergies among solutions, and their contribution to the major climate resilience and sustainability objectives defined by solar neighborhoods.
 

Planning for sustainable neighborhoods is a high priority for many cities. It is therefore important to take the right decisions during the planning phase to ensure that important aspects are considered. One of these important aspects is to consider the harvesting of solar energy in the best possible way. It is however difficult to define the best ways to exploit the incoming solar energy. Solar energy can be used by means of active solar energy production, passively by means of daylighting buildings or outside buildings on the ground for direct solar access or thermal comfort. This different usage can sometimes be conflicting (for example at a building level, in order to maximize the photovoltaic production, it may be necessary to use all the surfaces, therefore preventing the access to daylight). The access to daylight in the street is appreciated during cold days, but shading is preferred during the hotter days.

The balancing of preservation aspects and energy efficiency is a key challenge in the sustainable management of built heritage. There is a need to get a better fundamental understanding of the processes, barriers and constraints involved in the planning of energy retrofits in historic buildings, and what role standards and guidelines can have in decision making.

This technical report summarizes the current state of the art in the field of characterization of daylighting and shading systems by bidirectional scattering distribution functions (BSDFs) and documents the results of an inter-laboratory round robin test. It is the result of collaborative work conducted by members of the IEA SHC Task 61 / EBC Annex 77, Subtask C2.
 

One of the main targets of SHC Task 59 is to provide a solid knowledge base on deep renovation of historic buildings. The Historic Building Energy Retrofit Atlas (HiBERatlas, www.hiberatlas.com) provides a bestpractice database of exemplary energy efficient  interventions in historic buildings. The database presents bestpractice examples of how a historic building can be renovated to achieve high levels of energy efficiency while respecting and protecting its heritage significance.

According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), existing European buildings consume about 40% of the total energy consumption in Europe. For this reason, in the last decades, several energy  policies have been directed to deep renovation of the existing stock (as last 2018/844). Considering that more than one quarter of all European buildings were constructed before the 1950s, we can assume that many of them are of cultural, architectural, social and heritage values, hence in need of special attention for conservation purposes.

The main objective of Subtask C is to identify, assess and in some cases further develop retrofit solutions and strategies for historic buildings. The solutions should fulfil the conservation compatibility of historic buildings as well as energy efficiency goals towards lowest possible energy demand and CO2 emissions (NZEB). Further, the objective is to make the solutions available for comprehensive integrated refurbishing concepts and strategies.

Historic building restoration and renovation requires sensitivity to the cultural heritage, historic value, and sustainability (i.e., building physics, energy efficiency, and comfort) goals of the project. Heat recovery ventilation can contribute to the mentioned goals if ventilation concepts, and airflow distribution is planned and realized in a minimally invasive way. Compared to new buildings, the building physics of historic buildings are more complicated in terms of hygrothermal performance. In particular if internal insulation is applied, the need for dehumidification is needed for robust and risk-free future use, while maintaining the building’s cultural value. As each ventilation system has to be chosen and adapted individually to the specific building, the selection of the appropriate system type is not an easy task.

Renewable Energy Sources (RES) implementation, particularly in existing and historic buildings, can contribute significatively to the reduction of the energy requirement for thermal conditioning and electrical needs. The use of renewable solar energy systems in existing buildings is now strongly supported by the legislative European (EU) framework, which introduced specific targets to increase the share of RES, to cut carbon dioxide emissions (CO2 emissions), and to enhance the energy performances of existing buildings RES play an important role for achieving these goals in energy renovations of existing buildings, as the legislation requires to cover 32.5% of energy produced for domestic hot water, heating, and cooling by RES [1]. The EU 2030 Climate Target Plan consist among other things of an amended proposal on the draft EU Climate Law to incorporate the new 2030 emissions reduction target, considering reducing emissions (GHE) by at least 55% by 2030 as realistic and feasible objective.

While this heading should not dominate the report, the impacts of COVID-19 on the delivery of many aspects of the project need to be stated, especially as 2020 was the core year for partners and stakeholders to progress on many fronts with full familiarity of the project work. The effects of COVID-19 and its restrictions have been varied, but as the project was well established, with existing relationships developed, the effects could have been much worse. While in mid-2020 there was a pause in activities, and partners readjusted their businesses and operations to the new conditions, by Autumn 2020 most were familiar and active with digital means of communication. Once adopted, the change to online working for all participants has allowed a quicker and easier exchange of information, and meetings were better attended.

Measures for the reduction of electric energy loads for lighting have predominantly focussed on increasing the efficiency of lighting systems. This efficiency has now reached levels unthinkable a few decades ago. However, a focus on mere efficiency is physically limiting, and does not necessarily ensure that the anticipated energy savings actually materialize. There are technical and non-technical reasons because of which effective integration of lighting solutions and their controls, and thus a reduction in energy use, does not happen.

This handbook follows the systematic approach outlined by the European standard EN 16883:2017 Guidelines for improving the energy performance of historic buildings. It describes how the standard can be applied in practice with chapters on heritage value assessment, building survey and holistic assessment of energy efficiency measures. The book draws on the experience from a team of international leading experts in the field of energy efficiency in historic building.
 

The renovation of historic buildings is a complex task, as standard packages of solutions cannot be applied as in the renovation of buildings without historical significance. Each measure must be assessed on a case-by-case basis. In addition to improving energy efficiency and technical maintenance, the preservation and the  respect of the historic values must be guaranteed. The compatibility among the different measures of the renovation strategy must be carefully considered before being implemented.

Innovative and integrative lighting solutions are a rapidly developing trend among BMS manufacturers. They are being implemented in various systems from industry-leading firms, however they are met with a challenge of finding the best possible compromise between occupant expectations and optimization of building operation.
 

Even though there are existing codes and standards regarding daylighting and electric lighting controls, they have to be constantly reviewed and updated, as the technology is growing rapidly - and so do the users’ expectations. That is, in both efficiency of buildings in terms of sustainability and energy usage (utilizing advanced sensor-based systems), and also in the need for high quality of lighting at the workplaces.
 

The report starts with the introduction, chapter 1, where the main objective of the work is formulated, namely, to examine how the public buildings are used regarding lighting; both daylight and electric light is considered. In the chapter 2 a review of codes and requirements has been done. It starts with a discussion about general aspects of codes (subchapter 2.1) and presentation of international standards CEN and ISO (2.2) and follows with description of CIE reports and other internationally recognized guidance books (2.3). Then national recommendations are also presented (2.4). Finally, the impact of codes on architectural design is elaborated based on the interviews with architectural offices (2.5).
 

The consumption of energy for lighting in buildings depends very much on the way people interact with the build environment. In this study the following building types were studied, office, school, university, commercial and industry buildings. For each building type typical user groups were identified. Then, Personas have been created for each group. As opposed to describing users with numbers and statistics, a single Persona reflects a group and is presented with a narrative. The Persona has a name, a family and living conditions that are representative for the group, also her/his values and interests are not uncommon. The Personas “typical day” includes a time schedule typical for the group. Visual conditions are common for the group, but some specific challenges connected to the visual conditions that may occur in the group are also mentioned.

The report targets industry professionals, building designers, lighting designers, building managers, researchers and/or owners wishing to evaluate projects where lighting is supplied by a combination of electrical lighting, daylighting systems (e.g., fenestrations) and assisted technologies (e.g., smart sensors). The framework in this report makes available methods and procedures related to the evaluation of integrated lighting performance in residential and non-residential buildings and its impact on users, and it summarises and categorize methods and procedures in an accessible and industry-oriented language.

This report presents lessons learned from twenty-five worldwide real-life case studies implementing the integration of daylighting and electric lighting. The case studies were monitored with respect to energy use for lighting, visual performance, non-visual performance, and users’ satisfaction. The monitoring is largely based on field measurements, but it is also complemented with simulations and calculations where needed.

Lighting accounts for approximately 15 % of the global electric energy consumption and 5 % of greenhouse gas emissions. Growing economies, higher user demands for quality lighting and rebound effects as a result of low priced and more versatile electric lighting continuously still lead to an absolute increase of lighting energy consumption. More light is used, often less consciously.
 

This Subtask aims to have reliable thermal analysis methods/protocols and procedures for the characterization of aterial and reaction properties for sorption and chemical reactions of thermal energy storage  (TES) applications. One goal is an inventory of already standardized measurement procedures for TCM as well  as of needed characterization procedures.

Within Task 64/IV Solar Process Heat, Subtask E Guideline to Market is aiming to support a wider penetration of solar thermal technologies in the supply of heating (and cooling) in industry, demonstrating Solar Heat for Industrial Processes (SHIP) to be an important contribution to the decarbonisation of the industrial sector. This requires not only to overcome technical and/or technological barriers, but it is crucial to also address on technical barriers. Whereas well suited system integration strategies, design tools, standardized procedures or
modular components are all in all paramount for the development of reliable and prompt off the shelve solutions, experience shows that often non-technological barriers might have a critical role in the decision making process. Above all, competitiveness and investment/financing related barriers prove in many cases to be the bottleneck for the adoption of solar thermal technologies in the industrial framework.

IEA SHC Task 55 elaborates on technical and economic requirements for the commercial market introduction of solar district heating and cooling systems in a broad range of countries. The Task activities aim to improve technological and market know-how, as well as to develop tools for the network integration of solar thermal systems and the implementation of other renewable energy technologies for maximum energy coverage. A key element is the direct cooperation of SDH experts with associations, companies, and institutions from the DHC community to bridge the gap between the research fields and organizations.

There is a large number of control systems proposed either by lighting manufacturers or motor manufacturers for shading systems. In addition there are many other solutions proposed by specific manufacturers of Building Management Systems (BMS) or manufacturers of components to be installed in luminaires and switches, as well as in the electric lighting architecture (transformers, gateways to the internet, sensors, etc.). For many consumers -i.e.-the installer, the facility manager, or the final user (building occupant) – this forms a complex and dynamic market environment with high frequent changes, every year or even every month or day. In this report we aim to provide some basic strategic information, showing the status of the supply at the time this report was written (2019-2021). Although the market develops very fast, there are principles of controls which are rather independent of the progress of technology.

This report summarizes a survey performed in eight countries on the status quo of daylight and electric lighting control systems. Feedback from more than 100 international experts (building / facility managers and planers) was evaluated. The aim of the survey was to identify the perception of the different possibilities of the current lighting control solutions and the expectations about the control systems. The survey aims to provide a mapping of the current lighting control systems available at the market and an overview of which functions are perceived as most important and which areas are found to be improved. Participants of the survey had to rank each question in relation to the perceived importance and the need for improvement. The survey enclosed five general topics; energy, operational aspects, occupant control, occupant comfort and control functionality.

This report shows, that the impact of a good User Interfaces (UI) is not only affecting the usability and comfort for the user, but is also a major key to save energy. At least as important for effectiveness to the quality of individual interfaces is consistency in the meaning of individual user interface elements (visual, conceptual, auditory, etc.)

This white paper summarizes the current state of the art in the field of measurement and simulation characterization of daylighting systems by bidirectional scattering distribution functions (BSDFs) and provides recommendations broken down by classes of systems and use cases.

There is a high degree of freedom and flexibility in the way to integrate renewable process heat in industrial processes.  Nearly in every industrial or commercial application various heat sinks can be found, which are suitable to be supplied by renewable heat, e.g. from solar thermal, heat pumps, biomass or others. But in contrast to conventional fossil fuel powered heating systems, most renewable heating technologies are more sensitive to the requirements defined by the specific demand of the industrial company. Fossil fuel-based systems benefit from their indifference to process temperatures in terms of energy efficiency, their flexibility with respect to part-load as well as on-off operation, and the fuel as a (unlimited) chemical storage. In contrast, the required temperature and the temporal course of the heat demand over the year determine whether a certain regenerative heat generator is technically feasible at all or at least significantly influence parameters like efficiency or coverage rate.

The brochure contains very useful info charts and general information about large scale SDH as well as several case studies of SDH installations in Denmark, China, Serbia, Austria, France, Latvia and Germany, translated into Turkish.

This report gathers all documents and links to information that Task 60 has produced over the course of the 3 years of the Task to promote its activities and the PVT technologies. It is a track of the communication of the Task also helpful for future Task set up.

The performance of 26 PVT-Systems was analysed and compared in IEA-SHC Task 60. The systems are located in countries with different climatic conditions. The applications range from direct domestic hot water production and heating of public swimming pools to heat pump systems with PVT as the main heat source of the heat pump. The Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) determined for the different PVT solutions give the possibility to compare the systems despite their diversity. The goal was to show the potential of PVT collectors in different fields of application. The results show that the integration of PVT collectors in different kinds of well-dimensioned systems leads to competitive solutions, both from an energy and a financial perspective. Additionally the answers to a survey about control strategies for PVT systems, showing some main problems and possible solutions, are summarised.

This article introduces chapter 1 "Evolution of BIPV in 40 years: architecture, technology & costs" of the BIPV Status Report 2020 "Building Integrated Photovoltaics: A practical handbook for solar buildings’ stakeholders", a joint publication SUPSI Institute of Applied Sustainability to the Built Environment (ISAAC) and the Becquerel Institute.

solarchitecture.ch/bipv-in-dialogue-with-history/

Report D1: The aim of this report is to provide precise definitions of useful KPI’s for PVT systems. Where possible, these definitions correspond to those used in the technology fields of solar thermal systems and photovoltaic systems. In particular, the KPI's for the thermal performance of PVT systems are to a considerable extent based on the definitions adopted in IEA SHC Task 44 (Hadorn 2015). The stipulation and use of standardized KPI’s and notations will be essential for the comparability of different research results.

Austrian district heating (DH) has experienced a fast increasing trend for the last 30 years (with the exception of the period 2010-2014), resulting in a triplication of delivered heat; in the year 2018, with about 2400 networks and 20 TWh supply, DH covered 6.4% of the final energy consumption (1122.5 PJ). Worth to underline is also that this growth of Austrian district heating has been about twice faster than the one of the energy demand in the same period. Currently, district heating provides about 26% of the Austrian households with the energy requested for space heating and domestic hot water preparation.

Report B1: This report therefore aims at displaying the Status Quo of PVT Characterization in order to support PVT technology in its further development and applications. The report is hence of interest for researchers as well as public and private sector stakeholders. A key finding is that the reliability and durability of PVT modules are especially challenged at elevated temperatures and higher humidity loads. The test methods available from the IEC and ISO standards are covering the specifics of PV and ST module’s, most of which are similar for PVT modules, too.

This report has been developed in the frame of the IEA SHC Task 61 Subtask A “User requirements”. The main objective was to rethink and reformulate user requirements to lighting (daylighting and electric lighting) in public buildings on the basis of a thorough literature study. The work is a joint effort of a number of scientists and represents collective knowledge in this topic. The concept of Lighting quality is the one, among many lighting concepts, which expresses the user perspective best. Lighting quality is the important goal of lighting designers and planners; however, it is difficult to define and to measure.

The computer-based experimentation covers almost the entire activity chain of the PVT sector. The PVT community carries out very different kind of modelling and simulation labours in order to answer to very diverse needs, such as proof-of-concepts, research, design, sizing, controlling, optimization, validation, marketing, sales, O&M, etc.

The modelling and simulation activities are key for success, but only if the outcomes are reliable and “good enough” for desired KPI estimation. Thus, the current report represents the current numerical simulation tools that the community is using for PVT collectors and systems modelling.

During the IEA SHC Task 60 the experience of the community with up to 11 different tools has been gathered for PVT collector and/or system level modelling, including 24 different case studies. Additionally, the gap between the user expectation and real experience has been collected and clustered. Finally, a useful guideline for PVT collector model parameterization is included, as a link between normative coefficients and numerical tools.

Report D6: PVT collectors can be still considered as young technology, but with significant growing tendency in terms of market development and number of manufacturers on a worldwide point of view. Nevertheless, PVT is definitely in an early stage of its product life cycle, where economic competitiveness among other renewable technologies providing heat and electricity is challenging.

The SHC Programme finalized its work on Building Integrated Solar Envelope Systems for HVAC and Lighting (Task 56) this month. To learn first-hand of  the Task’s impact on buildings, we asked Roberto Fedrizzi, the Task Operating Agent, to share some of his thoughts on this 4-year project.
 

The proper simulation of the hygrothermal behaviour of historical buildings is a challenging task with several implications regarding the evaluation of indoor thermal comfort and the suitability of retrofit strategies that comply with the conservation of cultural heritage. An inaccurate simulation may lead to inadequate conclusions, which could result in inappropriate and dangerous actions for the preservation of the heritage buildings.

The present work reviewed the main approaches used by researchers for building performance model validation with special reference to historical buildings based on microclimatic parameters, highlighting the main advantages and drawbacks of the different methods reviewed. Finally, recommendations to properly carry out the model validation based on microclimatic parameters have been provided. The collected information may be useful to different subjects (e.g. designers, energy auditors, researchers, conservators, buildings’ owners and policy makers) and can drive suitable and reliable retrofit and maintenance interventions.

Click here to access the full version.

Report D5: The aim of this report is to provide a summary of the current state of the PVT collector technologies, applications, and markets. The contents of this report have been used to update and enhance a Wikipedia article on PVT in order to better inform on PVT a wide audience. Therefore, the main structure and some literal fragments of the current Wikipedia are reused. Instead of citing the literal fragments of the old Wikipedia article in the main text, we included the old article in appendix and marked the fragments that were reused.

DALEC (Day- and Artificial Light with Energy Calculation) is an online concept evaluation tool for lighting designers, architects, building engineers and building owners. Although easy to use, the software accounts for the complex thermal and light processes in buildings and allows a simple evaluation of heating, cooling and electric lighting loads. Not only energy, but also user behavior is considered, and visual and thermal comfort is evaluated (glare, overheating frequency). This novel and innovative, holistic approach makes sustainable and energy efficient building design possible for new buildings as well as refurbishment. The simulation tool has been developed by Bartenbach, Zumtobel Lighting and the University of Innsbruck.

Report A1: The report presents recent PVT applications in the world in a vrieta of applications. A worldwide survey of operating PVT plants for year 2018 is also presented. Within this survey, 22 920 PVT-systems were identified. A global market overview and a sample of installed PVT systems with various PVT-collector types are exhibited in the report, spanning most of the relevant PVT applications. These case studies include a general description of the solar installation, the overall heat supply concept and integration scheme, and other pertinent information to provide a deeper understanding of the subtleties of such projects.
 

In Subtask C of IEA SHC Task 56 complete solar envelope systems based on active and passive components and integrated into the HVAC system are investigated on building level. Different approaches for investigating Solar Envelope Systems are required for residential and office buildings. This report has the goal to describe the different methods used for non-residential (i.e. office) and residential buildings and to give comprehensive information about the reference buildings and HVAC systems used in IEA SHC Task 56.

Deliverable 2 of Subtask 3P is a collection of questionnaires regarding experimental devices that are used by the experts of Task 58 / Annex 33 to investigate the degradation of Phase Change Materials (PCM). Three types of experiments are considered: Tests on degradation of PCM over thermal cycling (type I), tests on degradation of PCM with stable supercooling (type II), and tests on degradation of phase change slurries (type III).

In Deliverable D C.4 two Demo buildings are presented. The first one is a multi-family house built in Innsbruck, Austria according to the Passive House standard. The second one is a library located in Varennes, Quebec, Canada designed as net zero energy building. Demo buildings are illustrated and monitoring results are reported.

This report presents an analysis of current test methods that can be applied to Solar Building Envelope (SBE) technologies. Relevant standards for construction products, solar thermal collectors, photovoltaics, daylighting systems, ventilation devices and heat pumps are selected and assessed. The selection includes the most important standards for fire protection as applied to SBE technologies. For each standard, the report assesses its applicability to SBE technologies. At the end, recommendations are presented on how current standards and regulations could be improved to prepare the ground for a wider adoption of SBE systems.

Task 56 is part of the Solar Heating and Cooling Programme (SHC) of the International Energy Agency (IEA). Within Task 56, Subtask B aims to develop tools and strategies to foster the market penetration for industrialised solar envelope systems. This report outlines strategies for stakeholders of solar building envelopes (SBE) in order to deal with some of the market barriers that have been identified in a previous report (DB.1). The current report focuses on strategies for SBE manufacturers but includes strategies for other SBE stakeholders such as policy makers, architects, building owners and industry associations. In section 2, strategies are discussed to enhance the commercial success of SBE technologies in the current market situation. Section 3 then discusses strategies with regard to future changes in legal frameworks and boundary conditions. A summary of the proposed strategies is presented at the end.

Building Integrated Solar Envelope Systems for HVAC and Lighting includes a broad variety of technologies. Different “Solar Envelope” solutions for office and residential buildings are investigated and evaluated by means of building and system simulation. Detailed technical/economic analysis will be carried out in order to assess the impact of the integration of the solar envelope components for different buildings in different climates. Models for these technologies shall allow to develop and optimize control strategies for coupled control of indoor air quality, thermal and visual comfort (lighting) considering optimal energy performance.

Different approaches for investigating Solar Envelope Systems are required for residential and office buildings. This report has the goal to describe the different methods used for non-residential (i.e. office) and residential buildings and to give comprehensive information about the reference buildings and HVAC systems used in IEA SHC Task 56.

IEA SHC Task 55 elaborates on technical and economic requirements for the commercial market introduction of solar district heating and cooling systems in a broad range of countries. The Task activities aim to improve technological and market know-how, as well as to develop tools for the network integration of solar thermal systems and the implementation of other renewable energy technologies for maximum energy coverage. A key element is the direct cooperation of SDH experts with associations, companies, and institutions from the DHC community to bridge the gap between the research fields and organizations.

Deliverable 1 of Subtask 3P is an inventory of properties of Phase Change Materials (PCM) that change comparing experiments in the lab environment with tests under application conditions. Examples where no change is observed are also included.
 

Building dynamic simulation tools, traditionally used to study the hygrothermal performance of new buildings during the preliminary design steps, have been recently adopted also in historical buildings, as a tool to investigate possible strategies for their conservation and the suitability of energy retrofit scenarios, according to the boundary conditions.

However, designers often face with the lack of reliable thermophysical input data for various envelope components as well as with some intrinsic limitations in the simulation models, especially to describe the geometric features and peculiarities of the heritage buildings. This paper attempts to bridge this knowledge gap, providing critical factors and possible solutions to support hygrothermal simulations of historical buildings.

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As the material development is done at different institution the objective of the work was to collect the materials which are under research and development to get an overview on the most relevant properties of these materials and application which are addressed.

Building Integrated Solar Envelope (BISE) technologies face a number barriers despite their potential (see Deliverable DB1 of the IEA SHC Task 56 for a detailed description of barriers). BISE technologies have a highly innovative character and often require that different professional disciplines interact closely in the manufacturing, installation and operation phases. For example, the implementation of solar thermal venetian blinds forces novel interactions between a façade manufacturer and a HVAC designer during the design and installation phases, which implies the need of new procedures and costs. The need to develop new know-how in a wide range of topics hinders the development of new technologies.

This report presents a review about simulation models of building integrated solar envelopes. The models can be used to predict the performance of a building integrated solar envelope for a specific case. Such cases include a building, a technical building plant and a location and climate. The performance of a building integrated solar envelope depends on the case. Therefore, it is very important for building projects that the performance of a building integrated solar envelope can be predicted easily and accurately.

This document brings together some of the most important experiences from the inspiring development of solar district heating systems that have been seen in Denmark in the past years. The document is an adapted translations of “Solvarme – Inspirationskatalog” from February 2017, elaborated by PlanEnergi for the Danish District Heating Association. Some of the conditions and regulations described might be specific Danish. The main objective of this document is to inspire and qualify the district heating companies (board members as well as operating personnel) as well as representatives from municipalities with respect to the specific processes in the project development phases. This is not a proper guidance in the establishment of solar installations. More specific guidance can be found in IEA SHC Task 45 and Task 55 guidelines and fact sheets and in the Europeran SDH projects – see last section in the document. This document thus complements these guidelines with specific Danish experience. After summing up to the various protagonists follow descriptions of six specific Danish solar district heating plants – and some experiences gained here.

The present document includes a state-of-the-art review of solar envelope systems that are already on the market or that can potentially reach that stage in a short-medium timeframe. The analysis focuses on the technological integration of such solutions in the envelope and building, but non-technical issues such as aesthetic, architectural integration and customer acceptance are also tackled. The solar envelope systems are classified in: Solar harvesting systems: systems that generate electricity or heat; Solar gains control systems, controlling; Hybrid systems: combination of solar harvesting and solar gains control systems.

Practitioners are using a wide variety of different workflows, methods and tools in the planning of integrated solutions for daylighting, electric lighting and lighting controls. Lighting design projects cover a huge variety of applications with different requirements as well as project types and sizes. Within the Subtask C “Design Support for Practitioners – Tools, Standards, Guidelines” of the IEA SHC Task 61 / EBC Annex 77 “Integrated Solutions for Daylighting and Electric Lighting: From Component to User Centered System Efficiency” currently applied workflows in practical applications have been reviewed.
 

Report D4: PVT collectors are always part of a system approach. These kinds of systems are highly integrated. So, all components have to interact with each other in a well-concerted way and it is important to describe this in a technical way that incorporates different information needed for the interaction. One possibility to describe the interaction of PVT collectors and other components in a system is the use of a representation of flows developed in an IEA SHC Task (Task 44 – see ref). The representation is called the “energy flow diagram” or simply “square views” (you will understand why) for the visualization of energy flows between the different system components. 

Abstract - The model of the reference office building, reported in IEA SHC Task 56, is implemented by different experts in building simulations, with different tools (i.e. dynamics simulation tools such as EnergyPlus, TRNSYS, CarnotUIBK, ALMAbuild, DALEC, Modelica and quasi steady state calculation tool such as PHPP). The aim is to set up reference models for (virtually) testing different solar passive and solar active façade systems. Hence, identifying deviations between the resulting energy balance for heating and cooling of the used tools due to different levels of detail of their models is of great importance, while in the same time, trying to get rid of the user influence was experienced as a real challenge. It can be concluded that even considering a relatively simple case study, it is hard to reach a good agreement between different tools and an additional calibration phase is necessary. In particular, it was found that the resolution of the window model can lead to considerable differences (...)

This paper presents a comparative study among well-established simulation tools showing their capabilities evaluating complex fenestration systems in terms of thermal and daylight performance. Two powerful and flexible toolchain approaches based on EnergyPlus and TRNSYS including third-party software are analysed in detail and their application is shown on exemplarily test cases. By investing into comparative simulations, capabilities of both toolchains are highlighted, and pros and cons are discussed within this paper. Upon comparison with measured data, the ability of both toolchains to predict real case scenarios is shown. Satisfying alignment has been achieved in energy performance prediction (cooling loads, temperatures) as well as daylighting prediction (illuminance levels). Remaining uncertainties reflects the sensibility in used model definitions, used data as well as tool handling.

Abstract - A new compact and cost effective heating and ventilation concept for decentral renovation of small flats in multifamily houses was developed and investigated in the framework of the Austrian project “SaLüH!” through a dynamic building and HVAC simulation study based on results of laboratory measurements of functional models. The system consists of a façade integrated supply air/exhaust air heat pump equipped with a desuperheater allowing to increase the heating power and to add more freedom to control the system. The simulation results show that such a system is able to improve the thermal comfort of the flat (compared to the standard heating concept without desuperheater) with good indoor air quality and satisfying energy performance. The proposed system - because of its versatility and compactness - represents an ideal solution for decentral renovation of flats in multi-family houses, especially in case of limited space inside the flat and if central solutions are not possible for technical, economic or social reasons.

In this activity of SHC Task 53, a detailed description of typical conventional reference system is delivered. Market dominating small scale system types (< 10 kW) for air-conditioning, cooling and heating for rooms are investigated and identified reference systems apply the mechanical compression method to treat the working fluid.  The reference system respect different European climate zones and with displaying and discussing the simulation results of a parametric study, the energy performance of the defined reference system is shown as a function of the room type and of the climate condition of the selected European Cities.

One of the greatest challenges of the 21st century is to secure a sustainable energy supply and to considerably reduce CO2 emissions and the serious consequence of climate change. The challenging goals with regard to the contributions of renewable energy cannot be reached without considerable growth of solar thermal markets worldwide. Therefore, costcompetitive, efficient and reliable solar thermal systems are required. Cost-competitiveness is particularly hard to achieve as the price of solar thermal systems is still not equaled by the price end-users have to pay for conventional heat supply. A great number of complex, costly and oftentimes non-transparent steps are needed to bring solar thermal from the factory to the actual users. SHC Task 54 is looking for ways to optimize each of these steps as well as looking into the social-political context in which solar thermal installations are embedded. The ultimate goal is to strengthen the solar thermal industry by finding solutions for more cost-efficient production and installation of solar thermal systems and for marketing them at an even more competitive price.
 

Abstract - An energy auditing tool (PHPP) was evaluated against a dynamic simulation tool (TRNSYS) and used for the assessment of energy conservation measures in a demo case study. The comprehensive comparison of useful heating and cooling demands and loads included three building types (single-, multi-family house, and office), three building energy levels (before renovation and after renovation with a heating demand of 45 and 25 kWh/(m²a)) and seven European climates. Dynamic simulation results proved PHPP (monthly energy balance) to be able to calculate heating demand and energy savings with good precision and cooling demand with acceptable precision compared to detailed numerical models (TRNSYS). The average deviation between the tools was 8% for heating and 15% for cooling (considering climates with a relevant cooling load only). The higher the thermal envelope quality was, i.e. in case of good energy standards and in cold climates, the better was the agreement. Furthermore, it was confirmed that PHPP slightly overestimates the heating and cooling loads by intention for system design. (...)

Historic buildings constitute a considerable part of our building stock and are the trademark of numerous cities.  Historic buildings will, however, only survive if kept in use. To save this heritage for future generations, we need to find conservation compatible, renovation approaches and measures that preserve the heritage values of these buildings while improving user comfort, lowering energy bills and minimizing environmental impacts.

Report on the work done in the task with links to deliverables.

Abstract - During the last decades, a great number of innovative building envelope materials and façade components have been developed. The majority of these technologies promise significant improvements in energy efficiency and occupant's comfort, with products that are easily available in the market. However, it remains a challenge to assess the performance of such facades, leading to difficulties for efficient design, operation, and maintenance. As a consequence, the market adoption of adaptive facades is not realizing its full potential, resulting in missed opportunities for energy savings and improved occupant satisfaction. In this study, the current trends of adaptive facades are investigated, with particular emphasis on their performance assessment (...) Download open access paper

Report on experiments and test for accelerated ageing of evacuated collector. In some cases significant influence on the heat loss coefficient is seen.

This report is a result of extensive discussions within Task 56 of the Solar Heating and Cooling Programme (SHC) of the International Energy Agency (IEA). Innovative solar envelope technologies face multiple barriers, which prevent some of these innovations from contributing significantly against climate change. This report presents the barriers that the experts of Task 56 are aware of so that developers of integrated solar envelope systems could benefit of, at an early stage of their planning phase.

This standard is appropriate to the support of close-coupled type domestic solar water heating system (the tank storage capacity less than 0.6 m3) and the supports of which are made from galvanized iron sheet or aluminium alloy or/and stainless steel. The supports are processed by panel beating, surface paint-spraying and surface plastic-spraying. The testing method of the supports made from other materials or other processing of surface treatments can refer to this standard.

Update of Task 43 questionnaire with indication of interest in use of international standards.

 A new questionnaire with indication of interest in use of international standards has been elaborated – and the results analyzed. This survey shows that countries are increasingly adopting ISO 9806, validating the value of the similar study completed in 2014. Further, this study has captured many extra recommended changes which if included in future revisions of ISO 9806, will make it more likely to continue being adopted. This study has found that incorporating the recommended changes from China is the most pressing concern when considering future revisions of ISO 9806. Finally, this study has gathered much valuable information about the systems and markets that exist in each country.

ISO 9806 Solar energy - Solar thermal collectors - Test methods, the international standard for testing solar thermal collectors, was first published in 1994. Since that time there have been advances in technology, resulting in a need for the standard to be updated. The most recent update was completed in 2017. The thirtyfour member nations of the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) have adopted ISO 9806:2017. This study investigates the likelihood that ISO 9806:2017 will be adopted in other countries around the world and follows up on a similar study in 2014 regarding ISO 9806:2013. To determine this, a survey which received 84 responses from 35 countries was conducted. Respondents were asked how likely their countries were to adopt the standard and what, if any changes could be made to the standard to improve it. Sixteen countries outside of the CEN membership were identified as having reasonably large solar market size and were targeted by the 2014 study have again been targeted by this study as well. Responses were received from thirteen of these countries, many of which suggested alterations to ISO 9806 in order to increase the likelihood of adoption in their country and will be used to inform the next revision of ISO 9806.

A comprehensive guideline for use of the new solar collector testing standard ISO 9806:2017 has been elaborated. The purpose of this guide is to provide guidance about the application and use of the ISO 9806:2017 standard, concerning the testing of solar thermal collectors. It is intended to support the interpretation and application of the standard. The guide has been developed with three different target groups and objectives in mind. - A guide directed to established and new test laboratories for collector testing. The main purpose here is to give a quick introduction to the standard for new laboratories and in general to contribute to a uniform interpretation of the standard and presentation of results. - A guide directed to manufacturers and importers of collectors. Here, the purpose is to give a very light introduction to the standard and to explain how it is used for type testing as well as for innovation and development support. - A guide directed to certification bodies. The intention here is to provide access to easy evaluation of the presented results.

Abstract - Traditional façade characterisation metrics such as U-value and g-value are of limited value in the design process of buildings with adaptive façades. This issue is particularly important for adaptive façade components that have the capability of controlling thermal energy storage in the construction thermal mass. Building performance simulations can help to analyse the performance of buildings with adaptive façades, but such studies usually only provide information about the energy and comfort performance at room level. (...) This paper presents experiences and lessons learned from four European R&D projects that have introduced novel metrics to capture the dynamic performance of adaptive opaque façades. 

In the Work Plan for the Task 57 of IEA/SHC, a specific activity B5 “Defining / discussing environmental extreme conditions” was presented for the Subtask B. In order to make it co-ordinated with related international standards, a more concrete activity B5 “What is going on in IEC/TC and IEA/ PVPS groups on Extreme conditions” was further specified.

In past years, some information about IEC/TC and IEA/ PVPS groups on Extreme conditions has been searched. The search results are undoubtedly helpful for preparing definitions of environmental extreme conditions in solar thermal application in the future.

This document specifies a procedure to verify the performance of large collector fields. The collectors in the fields can be glazed flat plate collectors, evacuated tube collectors and/or tracking, focusing collectors. The check is done on the thermal power output of the collector field – the document specifies how to compare a measured output with a calculated one.

The document applies for all sizes of collector fields.

In the Arab countries a certification scheme (SHAMCI) for solar thermal product is being introduced. SHAMCI is very much inspired by the European certification scheme Solar Keymark, and in the task a comparison between SHAMCI and Solar Keymark has been elaborated. This paper compares between the certification schemes and quality mark of solar water heaters (SWH) in Europe; represented by the Solar Keymark (SK) and the Solar Heating Arab Marks and Certification Initiative (SHAMCI). The paper also discusses the expected benefits  of realizing a harmonization between the two previously mentioned schemes, highlighting current and possible future cooperation.

Abstract - Solar Envelope systems, which represent the technological response for meeting aesthetic requirements and solar renewable energy exploitation on building façades, are gaining a rising attention. However, they are still rare on the market. IEA SHC Task 56 focuses on the critical analysis, simulation, laboratory tests and onsite monitoring of market available and near market Solar Envelope systems. Within this framework, reference boundary conditions are required in order to assess the performance of Solar Envelope systems and compare different technologies through numerical simulations. The present paper reviews the process of defining reference boundary conditions for an office building, listing possible simplifications and required assumptions in order to calculate the impact at whole building level in terms of useful and final energy savings related to the installation of a façade integrated technology. The paper concludes with a comparison of simulation results between TRNSYS and DALEC, a simplified concept evaluation tool, which performs combined thermal and lighting analysis already at early design stages. 

Abstract - Sustainable and responsible use of resources is required in order to mitigate climate change. Micro-economic goals usually consider the capitalized investment costs and/or the purchased energy but disregard environmental impacts. However, on macro-economic scale, the aim must be the reduction of the (non-renewable) primary energy (PE) use and of CO2-emissions. There is need for an appropriate evaluation method for comparing and ranking different passive and active building technologies, e.g. according to their impact on the PE consumption. (...) This paper discusses - using a realized NZE multi-family building as an example - a PE evaluation method, that allows to include future development of the load (i.e. building stock) and electricity mix (share of REs) with seasonal variations and shows the impact on the ranking of different passive and active technologies.

To support implementation of certification schemes in countries regions without tradition / experience in certification schemes, an introduction to product certification schemes at a general level has been elaborated. Here guidelines for how to initiate and implement a certification scheme for solar heating and cooling products are given.

What is certification: A product certificate (mark/label) is given to show that the product fulfils some specific requirements and/or have some specific characteristics. Product certificates/labels/marks are well known from the market – e.g. the European CE marking and Energy Rating/Labelling from different parts of the world. For some products - e.g. electrical products - focus could be on safety. For other products -  e.g. energy using or producing products - focus could be on energy performance. The basis for certification schemes are usually standards giving the specific requirements for the products – and defining the test procedures for how to check if requirements are fulfilled.

This standard specifies the terms and definitions, classifications, codes and markings, general requirements, requirements and test methods, inspection rules, signs, marking and operation instruction, packaging, transportation and storage of solar thermal components for building.  This standard is applicable to solar thermal components for industrial and civil usage.

This standard specifies test methods for assessing the reliability and safety with regard to close-coupled solar water heating systems.

This standard is applicable to all types of close-coupled solar water heating systems, including those using flat-plate collectors with thermo-siphon circulation; and those using evacuated tubes directly connected to the storage tank.

This standard is also applicable to close-coupled solar water heating systems assisted by air-source heat-pumps; and to close-coupled solar water heating systems with auxiliary electric energy for normal system operation.

Abstract - Advanced glazing systems with special spectral characteristics or light redirecting behavior are commonly applied to improve building energy efficiency and indoor comfort conditions. The angle-dependent optical properties of such advanced windows can be markedly different from those of ordinary glass. To achieve accurate building performance predictions, it is necessary to represent the physical behavior of advanced window systems at a sufficiently high level of detail in building simulation programs [...]  Download open access paper

This report gathers and presents approaches, methods and tools that can support and facilitate daylight and solar energy considerations within urban planning processes. The report presents different ways to address existing building stock, new urban environments and landscape environments in relation to use of daylight and active solar. It addresses the need for spatial and energy planning that enhances solar energy while respecting cultural and historical heritage values in urban and landscape contexts.

Abstract - In this paper the performance of a novel type of closed-loop forced convective dynamic insulation system is investigated. First results show that a ninefold higher U-value can be achieved in comparison with the insulating state of the system. Multiple case studies have been analysed to study the behaviour and performance of the system. We found that the dynamic insulation system can reduce the energy consumption and increase the indoor thermal comfort of a typical residential building, while using less auxiliary energy than comparable passive cooling systems, such as night ventilation. Applying dynamic insulation to a façade construction with a heavyweight interior partition and lightweight exterior partition resulted in the best performance [...]  Download open access publication

Activity 1 of Subtask C is dedicated to prepare the testing and the monitoring methodology to measure the performances of the selected demo projects for NG H&C-Systems. A valorization of past and ongoing results from IEA SHC Task 38, 44 and 48 was done on how to properly monitor these systems, in order to achieve reliable indicators and significant information on the performance as well as primary energy savings and reduction of greenhouse gases, plus finally also on economic criteria.

This report shows the underlying data on existing buildings, the assumptions regarding future developments of the building stocks, the costs and energetic effects of various renovation measures on different parts of the building shell, the methodology for calculating the cost curves for heat savings in buildings, the resulting cost curves for the countries under investigation including their sensitivity to important input assumptions, and conclusions as well as discussion points that resulted from this work.

This report presents the results of a scenario study on the potential role of solar thermal in future energy systems in Germany. This work is applied in the IEA task 52 Solar Heat and Energy Economics in Urban Environments. In the framework of IEA-SHC Task 52 the (possible future) role of solar thermal energy utilization in urban environments is investigated more deeply. Main focus is on the utilization of solar energy by means of active technologies such as solar thermal collectors.This report presents the scenario results calculated based on the methodology in Subtask A of the IEA task 52 Solar Heat and Energy Economics in Urban Environments.

The programs of Solar Heating and cooling (SHC) as well as District Heating and Cooling (DHC) belong to the 5 main technology collaboration programmes (TCP) of the IEA (International Energy Agency). SHC was among the first programmes of the IEA established in 1977. Its goal is to promote the use of all aspects of solar thermal energy.

This technical report describes the research activities developed within Subtasks A: “Components, Systems & Quality, Activity A5 “LCA and techno-eco comparison between reference and new systems”.
Subtask A – Activity A5 is focused on environmental analysis and, when applicable, on the techno-economic analysis, of the systems studied in Subtask A, and the comparison with reference systems when accurate (same location and same boundary conditions).
 

The number of solar cooling and heating (SHC) systems is increasing permanently (Mugnier and Jakob, 2015) new technologies and different solutions are available on research level but also on the market (Mugnier, 2015). These systems are characterized by a high diversity of design possibilities including not only different cooling and heating technologies, but also a great variety of different renewable and non-renewable energy sources. Main obstacles for a wider and faster spread of solar cooling and heating are based on (i) lack of knowledge. (ii) technical issues but mainly on (iii) economics.
 

Monitoring of field test systems and demonstration projects for new generation solar cooling & heating systems is fundamental to analyze their performances, to identify, their possibilities and to verify the quality of the proposed solutions. This work is done in Subtask C, called “Testing and demonstration projects”, using the results of Subtasks A and B.
 

Abstract - This article presents an overview of possibilities and points of attention for modelling the performance of dynamic CFS in building performance simulation software. Following a detailed analysis of the unique requirements that are associated with modelling of CFS, a comparative study of the capabilities in different software implementations is presented. In addition, we present on overview of state-of-the-art approaches to obtain the necessary Bi-directional Scattering Distribution Functions (BSDF), involving experimental characterisation, databases, and component-level ray-tracing approaches. The second part of the paper provides a detailed discussion of a case study of a high reflective lamella system [...]

The overall objective of the Task is to foster the integration of daylight and electric lighting solutions to the benefits of higher user satisfaction and at the same time energy savings. The Brochure gives an overview on the Task activities.

This document reports on the layout configuration and components characteristics of solar driven heating and cooling systems. These HVAC systems are installed in the residential buildings described in the Deliverable B1.

The energy plant reported for the first example has a modular structure in a way that different configurations can be modelled and system performance can be compared. Four generation devices, three distribution systems and different solar field areas of solar thermal and PV systems can be combined keeping the control strategies unchanged.

The use of solar technologies for covering heating and cooling loads can assume different configurations. In deliverable B3, a number of this kind of heating & cooling systems are described. These systems are installed in residential buildings described in the deliverable B1: single and multi-family houses located in different climates throughout Europe. Systems sizing and control strategies are reported in B4.
 

The main objective of SubTask B is to analyse and select optimized control strategies to manage the interaction between solar and cooling machine and to investigate demand/response strategies to optimise the interaction with smart grids. The latter objective is developed in the Deliverable B2, while the first is presented in the Deliverable B5. Reference buildings, energy plant layouts and control strategies used for assessing the performance of innovative systems are described in B1, B3 and B4 respectively.

The aim of this report is therefore to provide information on the boundary conditions and construction typologies that have been used to simulate heating and cooling demands of residential buildings.

Abstract - In this paper, the energy performance of a solar thermal (ST) façade system is studied in relation to its connection to a district heating system. This concept allows for the direct use of ST heat in the building, while taking profit from the network for delivery/selling of excess heat and purchase of heat during periods of underproduction. The use of unglazed collectors for low-intrusive architectural interaction in façades is discussed. Studies are carried out on the heat production of the system and its capacity to cope with local demands. Economic studies are carried out in order to balance the investment and operational costs/profits of the system. Download open access publication

This report summaries the different achievements of the subtask B focused on Methodologies, Tools and Case studies for Urban Energy concepts. In the first chapter, we will present the preliminary studies made on existing tools and on the assessment of the needs of urban actors. These studies were used as a base to build a new methodology. In the second chapter, we present a methodology to guide stakeholders in their different choices when projecting a solar district heating in urban environment. The case studies analysis is presented in a the Case Study report of Task 52

Abstract - The scope of this paper is to highlight the main barriers that are experienced in the development of façade-integrated solar water storage. This activity is a part of the SunRise project that aims to develop a new unitised curtain wall element for tertiary office buildings. The façade element integrates a complete solar thermal system consisting of a solar collector, hot water storage, a radiant panel, and all the required operation components. A mock-up of the solar façade is manufactured to identify practical constructional issues. The thermal behaviour of the tank is analysed through FEM simulations and laboratory tests. Download publication

The activity will study in a conceptual approach called “square view” develop among IEA SHC Task 44 consisting on simply presenting the different configurations of integration of solar cooling and heating systems among buildings, micro grids and the central grid. One criteria of limitation of the possibilities of configuration will be to consider systems available on the market to close to be commercialized.

This report (C3) presents lessons learnt drawn from the case studies within Task 51 presented in Report C1 and Report C2. The lessons learnt are divided into ten categories. Each category includes lessons learnt for the environments 1) new urban areas, 2) existing urban areas and 3) landscapes. Target groups are 1) citizens, 2) education actors, 3) professionals and stakeholders and 4) politicians and decision makers.

To reach a high solar fraction for a given town, a large number of roof mounted solar collector systems will in general be required, as the size of each system is limited by the roof area available. Given a certain area required to reach a specific solar fraction, a large ground-mounted system will often have a much lower total cost due to economy of scale. Hence, it is relevant to determine whether it would be more feasible to place large solar collector fields outside a town and supply heat to the district heating (DH) network through a transmission pipe, rather than to install many smaller solar heating systems on rooftops within the town. The analysis shows that the economies of scale of groundmounted solar collector systems can normally compensate for the extra costs of transmission pipes, as long as these are not too long, so that the resulting total cost of solar heat can become acceptable. This report aims at answering a few key questions regarding the development of largescale solar thermal systems supplying DH networks, which will be referred to as “solar district heating” (SDH): We have seen a strong SDH development in Denmark in the past decade – what are the characteristics of the Danish SDH systems? and Would it be possible to see a similar development in other countries?

This report compares experiences in using selected software tools in seminars at universities based on a design task example with experiences of international partners within the framework of IEA SHC Task 51. Also, this report discusses the current development status of new research and teaching tools.

This report presents 14 comparisons among the case studies collected in the Task 51/Report C1. The case studies represent new urban areas, existing urban areas and landscapes. The comparisons concern 1) scale and planning process, 2) legislation and technology and 3) targets and goals. Each comparison provides lessons learnt and recommendations for the different target groups, such as urban planners, architects, researchers and urban stakeholders involved in the planning process.

Designing, financing, and operating successful solar heating, concentrating solar power, and photovoltaic systems requires reliable information about the solar resource available and its variability over time. In the past, seasonal and daily variability has been studied and understood; however, with new solar technologies becoming more important in energy supply grids, small time-scale effects are critical to successful deployment of these important low carbon technologies. A vital part of the bankability of solar projects is to understand the variability of the solar resource so that supply and storage technologies can be optimized.

Solar cooling systems can be a cost-effective and environmentally attractive air-conditioning solution. The design of such systems, however, is complex. Research carried out under the aegis of the International Energy Agency's Solar Heating and Cooling Program has shown that there is a range of seemingly subtle design decisions that can impact significantly on the performance of solar cooling systems. In order to reduce the risk of errors in the design process, this guide provides detailed and very specific engineering design information. It focuses on case study examples of installed plants that have been monitored and evaluated over the last decade. For three successful plants the design process is described in detail and the rationale for each key design decision is explained. Numerical constraints are suggested for the sizing / selection parameters of key equipment items. Moreover, the application conditions under which the system selection is appropriate are discussed. By following The Guide for any of the three specific solar cooling systems, the designer can expect to reliably achieve a robust, energy-saving solution. This book is intended as a companion to the IEA Solar Cooling Handbook which provides a general overview of the various technologies as well as comprehensive advice to enable engineers to design their own solar cooling system from first principles.

As part of the “Lernnetz Bauphysik” (Building Physics Learning Network), an independent online tool for urban-based solar potential analyses has been specially developed for use in education and training. Based on a simplified 3D model created in the integrated Project Editor, EnOB Solar Potential Analysis enables the simulation of solar irradiation totals in freely defined time periods together with shading effects and solar hours, in each case on the district scale. This tool is available free of charge and can be obtained by the link: https://projektinfos.energiewendebauen.de/en/project/werkzeug-fuer-die-staedtebauliche-solarpotenzialanalyse/

The A2 activity is dedicated to building the state-of-the-art for new cooling and heating system configurations according to market available and close to market solutions (R&D level just before or during demo stage) at the start of SHC Task 53). This state-of-the-art is based on results from surveying SHC Task 53 participants, and no claim can be made for completeness. The survey results for both solar thermal and solar PV solutions are classified according different criteria: size, applications, etc. The present report has been built so as to make a picture of the existing and future systems called “New Generation Solar Cooling and Heating Systems” and try to understand their main features. This picture cannot be completed but this can give an interesting fore view of this new generation. This survey is not including refrigeration systems. The solutions are all pre-engineered systems with small to medium capacities for the following building types: single family houses, small multi-family buildings, offices, shops, commercial centres, factories, hotels. All of these buildings can be grid connected or off grid in case of PV cooling and heating. The cooling and heating power range will be from 1 kWcooling/heating to several tens of kWcooling/heating. The majority of the presented solutions can be driven by solar thermal or/and solar photovoltaic energy, which means these are all solar cooling solutions. 10 solutions are described in a summary set of tables giving technical comparative details as well as some economic indications (overall average end user price for instance) and a comparative square view of the principle scheme is presented. Additional details and pictures can be found in the Annex.

The gravity centre in energy research and development is shifting from centralized production to the level of building neighbourhood, district and urban systems that bring together a variety of classical research topics such as energy management, as well as the production of heat/cold and of electricity via renewable and non-renewable technologies, electricity distribution networks, thermal networks, energy demand in buildings into one integrated system. Thus, a strong need to stimulate the solar cooling sector for small and medium power size was identified.

This report deals with solar thermal technologies and investigates possible roles for solar thermal in future energy systems for four national energy systems; Germany, Austria, Italy and Denmark. The project period started in January 2014 and finished by October 2017. This report is based on research performed by Aalborg University with the collaboration of Subtask A project partners Sebastian Herkel and Andreas Palzer from Fraunhofer ISE, Marcus Hummel and Richard Büchele from the Technical University of Vienna as well as Bengt Perers and Simon Furbo from the Technical University of Denmark. Additional collaboration with other subtask project partners has contributed to enhancing the methodology and reporting of the research. Contributions from Rasmus Lund from Aalborg University are also appreciated.

With adaptive building façade technologies, a building envelope can provide a comfortable indoor environment under varying external conditions with minimal additional heating or cooling. The control strategy applied to the adaptation of the façade is a key determining factor in the successful integration of these technologies into a building. The building envelope plays a key role in regulating light, heat and mass transfer from the outdoor environment to the indoor. Dynamic glazing can be used to adjust the amount of solar radiation entering a building. The control strategies that ultimately determine the success of these switchable technologies to affect a building's energy performance and occupant comfort are reviewed in this paper.

Abstract - In the current context of moving towards more sustainable construction, advanced façade systems that integrate solar collecting devices represent a commitment with future trends that combine renewable technologies with building skins. This paper describes a real experience when combining a novel unglazed solar collector based on sandwich panel technology, a heat pump and a controller that manages the different operation modes. Installed in the Kubik by Tecnalia testing building in northern Spain, the system has been monitored for several months in 2016, under an energy efficiency scope. The study will present measured values regarding the yield of the collector, performance of the heat pump and general efficiencies. Download open access publication

Other than for solar district heating, solar thermal systems attached to individual buildings face a significant market downturn all over Europe for several years already. On the other hand, every solar thermal technology enables CO₂-free heat supply and hence has the potential to contribute to future low-carbon energy systems in cities.

In this respect, this report aims to critically reflect on past solar thermal developments on the one hand side and to show opportunities and innovative ideas for future product developments in the field of small smart solar combi systems on the other side. The work is based on 40 years of research and development experience at Danish Technical University (DTU) and driven by the conviction that there is large potential for solar thermal applications in urban environments also outside of district heating supply areas

Examples and case study on solar thermal applications in urban environments

In Report C2: Analysis of best practice examples, information about built best practice examples as well as conceptual feasibility studies of solar thermal applications in urban environments is summarized. Objective is to highlight technical potentials, innovative approaches and restrictions of solar thermal applications in urban environments in a holistic energy system context on the one hand and to identify and describe lessons learned regarding applied methodologies, success factors and barriers on the other side.

This report presents a collection of 34 case studies on solar energy in urban planning, addressing how the planning process has been developed, how the stakeholders have been involved, which instruments have been applied, which energy technology and environmental impact have been addressed and what the role was of the researchers during the entire process. The case studies from 10 countries include examples of new urban areas, existing urban areas and landscapes.

This booklet describes an interdisciplinary summer school on solar energy in urban planning. Teaching methodologies and results are shown as an applied example of successful collaboration between teaching, research and practice, to serve as inspiration and encouragement for educators. (German) Die Broschüre beschreibt die interdisziplinäre Sommerakademie, welche sich mit der Nutzung von solaren Potenzialen im städtebaulichen Kontext auseinandergesetzt hat. Lehrmethoden und Ergebnisse werden beschrieben, die sich auf einer erfolgreichen Zusammenarbeit von Lehre, Forschung und Praxis gründen und als Inspiration und Unterstützung für Lehrende dienen sollen.

This report focuses on education in order to strengthen the knowledge and competence of relevant stakeholders in solar energy in urban planning. The core of this study is to create substantial links between research and education as well as between research and practice. Knowledge gaps in current education were investigated, reasons for these gaps were identified and solutions and strategies are proposed to overcome these shortcomings.

Abstract - The paper presents results from three ongoing projects. BATISOL and BASSE investigate the development of solar thermal technology so as to fulfil the functional, constructional and formal requirements of building skins. Façade assemblies are turned into active skins by integrating unglazed solar collectors in the place of conventional renders and claddings. RETROKIT explores the usage of renewable energy gains within an alternative environmental control strategy, by direct supply of heated air into the ventilation system. Finally, a discussion is presented on architectural, constructional and thermal performance aspects of these solutions, based on both design assessments and experimental data. Download open access publication

Abstract - The lack of solutions for the architectural integration of solar collectors and the complexity of their assembly process are important barriers for the widespread adoption of this technology. An innovative approach is proposed in which solar collectors are not merely integrated into conventional building envelopes, but instead these envelopes are hybridized and activated to house solar thermal systems. (...) The paper presents results from three ongoing projects. BATISOL and BASSE investigate the development of solar thermal technology so as to fulfil the functional, constructional and formal requirements of building skins. (...). RETROKIT explores the usage of renewable energy gains within an alternative environmental control strategy, by direct supply of heated air into the ventilation system. Finally, a discussion is presented on architectural, constructional and thermal performance aspects of these solutions, based on both design assessments and experimental data. Access full paper on Research Gate

Abstract - The main contribution of this review article is to bring together and analyse the existing information on building performance simulation of adaptive facades. In the first part, the unique requirements for successful modelling and simulation of adaptive facades are discussed. In the second part, the capabilities of five widely used BPS  tools are reviewed, in terms of their ability to model energy and occupant comfort performance of adaptive facades. Finally, it discusses various ongoing trends and research needs in this field.

Abstract  -  DALEC is a novel, combined lighting and thermal simulation web tool. This tool allows building designers to evaluate their individual façade concepts in terms of thermal and visual performance and ultimately their impact on overall building energy use. Although easy to use, the software accounts for the complex thermal and light processes in buildings, by way of sophisticated and time-saving pre-calculations. Based on climatic data a calculation of heating, cooling and electric lighting loads can be obtained within a simulation time shorter than one second. The model has been validated by comparison with experimental data and other state-of-the-art software and shows deviations less than 15%. Not only energy demand is considered, but also user behaviour (e.g. glare protection), as well as visual and thermal comfort. This innovative, holistic approach facilitates and accelerates the design of sustainable and energy-efficient building for new, as well as for refurbished buildings.

Abstract - In the EC-funded FP7-project ‘Development of Systemic Packages for Deep Energy Renovation of Residential and Tertiary Buildings including Envelope and Systems’ (iNSPiRe; URL: http://www.inspirefp7.eu/) amongst others envelope retrofitting packages have been developed. The goal was to improve the façade of these buildings by providing more accessible and affordable energy saving solutions. Paper | Presentation

Abstract - Due to steadily increasing use of technologies for the reduction of the non-renewable energy needs in buildings (...)  deeper architectural integration is needed, also considering on cost and assembly process optimization to ensure wide market adoption. In this context, two main trends appear: Integration and hybridation of solar systems in building envelopes. Integrated solutions are created when modular and dimensionally variable glazed collectors are integrated in curtain wall structures or in external cladding systems. Hybrid solutions such as external thermal insulation systems and sandwich panels are generated where unglazed collectors are integrated as part of renders, claddings, etc. to obtain neutral aesthetical impact. Architectural, constructional and thermal results are discussed, not only based on design assessments, but also on manufacture, assembly and assessment results from experimental data.
 

Within the Austrian research project SolPol-4/5 it is the goal to find solutions for solar thermal systems based on cheap polymer materials but with low temperature limits in order to realize significant cost reduction potentials. Therefore one major point is to keep the temperature of the solar collector (and the complete system) below the material limits which means below 100°C for cheap polymer materials. For this, several possibilities are under investigation in many research projects. One solution is to design the collector in such a way, that the performance does not allow stagnation temperatures above 100°C (temperature limited collector – TLC). Other solutions try to keep the collector performance highest possible during operation and reduce the performance during stagnation by different technical solutions (overheat controlled – OHC) like reduction of absorption characteristic at high temperatures (Föste, 2015), reduction of transmission of the transparent cover or increasing the heat losses by activating cooling processes like internal ventilation of the collector (Harrison, 2004) or using a thermosyphon driven backcooler (Thür, 2014). This simulation study based on different parameter variations estimates how different operating conditions can influence design parameters for a solar domestic hot water system (SDHW) with different collector types. For different possible market conditions, which can potentially be situated world-wide, the goal of these investigations is to find out dependencies of different design parameters depending on specific operating conditions for solar domestic hot water systems (SDHW).

When integrating solar heat into industrial or commercial processes, the aim is to identify the most technically and economically suitable integration point and the most suitable integration concept. Due to the complexity of heat supply and distribution in industry, where a large number of processes might require thermal energy, this task is usually not trivial. Within Task 49/IV Subtask B several documents have been developed to assist with the necessary steps when planning the integration of a solar process heat plant.

The pros and cons of replacing traditional materials with polymeric materials in solar thermosiphon systems were analysed by adopting a total cost accounting approach. In terms of climatic and environmental performance, polymeric materials reveal better key figures than traditional ones like metals. In terms of present value total cost of energy, taking into account functional capability, end user investment cost, O&M cost, reliability and climatic cost, the results suggest that this may also be true when comparing a polymeric based thermosiphon system with a high efficient thermosiphon system of conventional materials for DHW production in the southern Europe regions. When present values for total energy cost are assessed for the total DHW systems including both the solar heating system and the auxiliary electric heating system, the difference in energy cost between the polymeric and the traditional systems is markedly reduced. The main reason for the difference in results can be related to the difference in thermal performance between the two systems. It can be concluded that the choice of auxiliary heating source is of utmost importance for the economical competiveness of systems and that electric heating may not be the best choice.

In the present report [Deliverable C1: Classification and benchmarking of solar thermal systems in urban environments], solar thermal system configurations suitable for applications in urban environments are identified first (chapter 4) and characterized by representative techno-economic benchmark figures from a set of best practice examples (chapter 5). Objective of this report is to provide a comprehensive data base for techno-economic (pre-) evaluations regarding the role of solar thermal in urban energy systems, especially applicable for urban planners / energy system planners without deeper theoretical solar thermal expertise.

Abstract - Cette étude porte sur la modélisation et l’étude expérimentale de capteurs solaires développés et fabriqués par INEF4 dans le cadre du projet BATISOL. Ces capteurs sont modulaires, opaques, basse température, Low-Cost, et totalement intégrés en façade derrière une solution de bardage métallique. Dans une première partie est présenté le modèle de simulation thermique du capteur. Il s’agit d’un modèle pseudo 3D par éléments finis développé sous COMSOL. Un calcul sur une coupe 2D du capteur est répété n fois selon la direction du fluide afin de déterminer les variables d’état tout au long du capteur. Dans une deuxième partie est présenté le dispositif expérimental, les prototypes réalisés ainsi que les résultats des tests expérimentaux. La comparaison entre ces deux approches permet de valider l’utilisation d’un modèle pseudo 3D pour la simulation thermique des capteurs BATISOL.

Building energy design is currently going through a period of major changes. One key factor of this is the adoption of net-zero energy as a long term goal for new buildings in most developed countries. To achieve this goal a lot of research is needed to accumulate knowledge and to utilize it in practical applications. In this book, accomplished international experts present advanced modeling techniques as well as in-depth case studies in order to aid designers in optimally using simulation tools for net-zero energy building design. The strategies and technologies discussed in this book are, however, also applicable for the design of energy-plus buildings. This book was facilitated by International Energy Agency?s Solar Heating and Cooling (SHC) Programme and the Energy in Buildings and Communities (EBC) Programme through the joint SHC Task 40/EBC Annex 52: Towards Net Zero Energy Solar Buildings R&D collaboration.

Solar process heat plants need to be able to operate reliably in all operation modes. Other than for conventional closed hot water or steam supply systems, solar thermal applications require specific technical solutions to cope with the phenomenon of stagnation.

To assess the suitability of solar collector systems in which polymeric materials are used versus those in which more traditional materials are used, a case study was undertaken. In this case study a solar heating system with polymeric solar collectors was compared with two equivalent but more traditional solar heating systems: one with flat plate solar collectors and one with evacuated tube solar collectors. To make the comparison, a total cost accounting approach was adopted. The life cycle assessment (LCA) results clearly indicated that the polymeric solar collector system is the best as regards climatic and environmental performance when they are expressed in terms of the IPPC 100 a indicator and the Ecoindicator 99, H/A indicator, respectively. In terms of climatic and environmental costs per amount of solar heat collected, the differences between the three kinds of collector systems were small when compared with existing energy prices. With the present tax rates, it seems unlikely that the differences in environmental and climatic costs will have any significant influence on which system is the most favoured, from a total cost point of view. In the choice between a renewable heat source and a heat source based on the use of a fossil fuel, the conclusion was that for climatic performance to be an important economic factor, the tax or trade rate of carbon dioxide emissions must be increased significantly, given the initial EU carbon dioxide emission trade rate. The rate would need to be at least of the same order of magnitude as the general carbon dioxide emission tax rate used in Sweden. If environmental costs took into account not only the greenhouse effect but also other mechanisms for damaging the environment as, for example, the environmental impact factor Ecoindicator 99 does, the viability of solar heating versus that of a natural gas heating system would be much higher.

This paper presents a high-level overview of a methodology for analysing windows shade use is existing buildings. Time-lapse photography is paired with a robust image recognition algorithm to facilitate assessment of shade use and identify any possible trends. The methodology applied on a high-rise building consisting of multiple open plan offices. The analysis showed that the mean shade occlusion and the shade movement rate depend on facade orientation, with the near-south facade having the highest values and the near-north facade having the lowest ones. An average shade use rate of 0.5/day was observed, with the 72% of the shades never adjusted, throughout the period of observation.

Solar thermal systems use free energy from the sun (solar radiation) to produce useful heat in a first instance. The solar radiation which is received on the earth plane is called "global radiation", which is made up of direct and diffuse radiation. Depending on the type of collector, in addition to the direct radiation it is also possible to use the diffuse radiation.

Today a number of buildings exist for which the design principle has been to achieve a Zero Energy Building (ZEB) or Net Zero Energy Building (Net ZEB) [1-6]. This paper focuses on Net ZEBs. In Net ZEB definitions, there may or may not be a maximum limit on energy demand. The requirements are generally that the demand is covered by renewable energy sources and that the building is in compliance with the national standards and regulations. However, to meet the goal, a low demand gives an advantage. The general approach to reach Net ZEB could be described as a two-step concept. The first step is to reduce the energy demand by applying energy efficiency measures. The second step is to supply energy, generated by renewable sources, which may be supplied into an external grid when favourable [8-11].

Within the TASK45 Program, data from worldwide Large Scale Solar Thermal Plants were collected and summarized in Subtask C. This provides a market overview, reflects the market´s development within the last 30 years and shows opportunities for further growth and country specific potential for implementing Large Scale Solar Thermal Plants.

Solar heat pump systems seen as a combination of a solar thermal collector and a compression heat pump already entered the market with more than 130 systems offered. The aim of this report is to collect, to describe and to analyze these currently (2009-2011) available systems. The undertaken survey on more than 80 companies mostly in Europe shows that most of the systems are used for a combined production of domestic hot water and heat for the space heating circuit. A new classification scheme is proposed and market available solar and heat pump systems are analyzed and classified. This report is free for distribution.

Within the research project “IEA SHC Task 40 – ECBCS Annex 52: Towards Net Zero Energy Solar Buildings” an excel-based tool was developed to assess balance, operating costs and load match index for predefined selected Net ZEB definitions [1]. The tool can be of assistance for different stakeholders, including building designers (evaluation of building design solutions with respect to different Net ZEB definitions), energy managers (assess the balance in monitored buildings) and policy makers (assist in the upcoming implementation process of Net ZEBs within the national normative framework).

For the correct design of thermal storage systems using phase change materials (PCMs) in any application, as well as for their simulation, it is essential to characterise the materials from thermophysical and rheological standpoints (phase change enthalpy, thermal conductivity in solid and liquid phases, viscosity and density in function of temperature). Taking advantage of the different research groups facilities available in two international networks: within the IEA (International Energy Agency), the ECES Implementing Agreement (Energy Conservation through Energy Storage IA) and SHC Programme (Solar Heating and Cooling) Task 42/Annex 24 ‘‘Compact Thermal Energy Storage – Material Development for System Integration’’, and the COST Action TU0802 ‘‘Next generation cost effective phase change materials for increased energy efficiency in renewable energy systems in buildings (NeCoE-PCM)’’ a set of Round Robin Tests (RRTs) was proposed.

IEA Task 45, Subtask C, deliverable 4 focuses on a relatively new approach, energy service companies (ESCos) emerging as a way to increase the uptake rate of large scale solar heat projects in larger buildings in the public and private sector. ESCos are companies that provide a full range of energy services with repayment in generated savings. They offer a complete package, from design, finance and installation to operation, including maintenance and fuel supply.

The project "Expanding biomass and solar heating in public and private buildings via the energy services approach (Bio-Sol-ESCo)" is supported by the European Commission through the IEE program (contract no. IEE/07/264). The sole responsibility for the content of this report lies with the authors. It does not represent the opinion of the European Communities. The European Commission or the authors are not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.

Radiant heating and cooling terminal heat exchangers have become very popular in the last decades because of the thermal comfort they provide and the energy savings potential respect to conventional systems.

The new combined SHC Task and HPP Annex called “Solar and heat pump systems” has started ! It will extend from 2010 to 21013. It is a join effort of the SHC and the HPP bodies and will be lead by one operationg agent (JC Hadorn of Switzerland). For SHC it is Task 44 and for HPP the annex number will be given soon.