Online conference, 17 June 2021, 9:00 - 13:00 h
The topic focus of the 24th Cologne Solar Colloquium was solar process heat for the energy transition. Speakers from the Institute of Solar Research and from industry partners gave an overview on today's technology status and showed which role solar process heat could play in a future energy system. The programme was completed by presentations from the founded DLR Institute of Future Fuels, with a focus on developments for high-temperature solar process heat applications including solar materials processing and synthetic fuel production.
Solar thermal is one of the possible renewable energy suppliers to meet the heat demand of industry and households. Concentrating solar thermal systems are a preferred option if large quantities of heat at temperatures above 70°C are required. They provide already today industrial companies with emission-free process heat in temperature ranges of 80-200°C. Rising prices for fossil fuels and the CO2 tax are making solar process heat also in economic terms an increasingly interesting alternative.