Solarexpo puts focus on solar thermal in 2009
Solarexpo, the international exhibition and conference on renewable energy and distributed generation to be held at the Verona Exhibition Centre, Italy, on 7-9 May 2009, will dedicate special attention this year to the solar thermal sector to respond to market demand for more training. The solar thermal sector in Europe is expected to employ more than 450,000 people by 2020, according to research by the European Solar Thermal Industry Federation (Estif). With growth reaching 150% between 2002 and 2006, Estif projects that solar thermal in Europe will provide 100,000 jobs in 2012, 150,000 in 2014, 225,000 in 2016 and more than 300,000 in 2018. In Italy, Assolterm estimates solar thermal accounted for 10,000 jobs last year, in a sector worth 400 million euros.
Solarexpo will see four important events dedicated to solar thermal, organised with the scientific secretariat of Ambiente Italia. The event on “Solar thermal for process heat in industry”, to be held on Thursday May 7, will focus on industrial applications for solar thermal, particularly in the food industry, which is set to be one of the more interesting and promising areas for such uses. Friday May 8 will be dedicated to the international conference on “Solar thermal in the application of building regulations” which, from an extremely practical viewpoint, will provide an expert update on markets and incentive mechanisms followed by two initiatives that seek to shed light on so-called “solarising building regulations” based on case studies from the regions of Lazio and Lombardy. Friday will also see the international conference on “Solar cooling: from pilot applications to the market”, which will assess the status of solar cooling technology, outline a path towards market consolidation, illustrate some of the instruments available to project managers and examine in detail several operational installations as well as commercially available products.
Riccardo Battisti of Ambiente Italia said: “We decided to organise these events to meet growing interest in the sector, which in Italy has seen substantial growth in recent years. Just think that in 2007 the Italian market reached 330,000 square metres of solar thermal panels, with 80% growth from 2006. Assolterm estimates the figure increased another 20% in 2008 to 400,000 square metres.”
As regards solar thermal’s technological opportunities, Solarexpo and Ambiente Italia have organised a specialised three-day course on “Large-scale solar thermal and solar cooling”. The course – aimed at thermo-technical engineers and project managers, architects, surveyors, energy consultants and managers, graduates, researchers and university teachers – looks into large-sized solar thermal installations for the production of heat for big users (apartment buildings, hotels, rest homes, hospitals), one of the most cost-effective applications.
“If we want solar thermal to make a concrete contribution to reaching greenhouse-gas reduction targets, this technology must be developed along two parallel paths,” explained Battisti. “On the one hand, we need to consolidate the portion of the market dealing with hot water for individual homes or collective structures, for which solid and clear regulations are needed. On the other, the market for industrial applications and solar cooling has to be developed. We’re talking about here- and-now technologies, not futuristic applications. Large-scale plants can start now to take a share of the market but what’s missing is information and the involvement of final users.”
“The programme is really very interesting and useful,” said Valeria Verga of Assolterm. “In light of the positive numbers coming from the market in recent years, we urgently need to step up a gear and keep pace with Europe’s biggest markets. This can only be done with correct information for the ‘masses’ of end users on the one hand and expert training on technologies, applications and project and installation methods for professional operators on the other. Assolterm will moderate the conference on ‘Solar thermal in the application of building regulations’, which we think will be very important to provide an update on the so-called solar obligation and highlight the fundamental role regional governments and other local authorities have in drawing up building regulations that mandate the use of solar.”
Solarexpo is confirmed as the reference event in Italy and one of the most prestigious at a European level for the renewable energy sector: a position achieved through 10 years of experience and exchange with the renewables market.
Solarexpo will coincide again in 2009 with Greenbuilding, the international exhibition and conference on energy efficiency and sustainable architecture, as a way to continue offering the most complete overview of products, technologies and solutions related to renewables and energy efficiency.
Solarexpo and Greenbuilding will take place on 7-9 May 2009 at the Verona Exhibition Centre, Italy.
Solarexpo & Greenbuilding, growth for the new economy.
Customer comments
No comments were found for Solarexpo puts focus on solar thermal in 2009. Be the first to comment!