Solar energy could meet one-sixth of global demand
for heating and cooling in under 40 years
9 July 2012 – Investing in a broad range of solar heating and cooling technologies could save 800 megatonnes of CO2 emissions per
year by 2050, IEA report finds
Solar energy could account for around
one-sixth of the world’s total lowtemperature heating and cooling needs
by 2050, according to a roadmap
launched today by the International Energy Agency (IEA). This would eliminate
some 800 megatonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per year, or more
than Germany’s total CO2 emissions in
2009.
The IEA’s Solar Heating and Cooling Roadmap outlines how best to advance the
global uptake of solar heating and cooling (SHC) technologies, which produce very
low levels of greenhouse-gas emissions. Some SHC technologies, such as domestic
hot water heaters, are already widely in use in certain countries, but others are just
entering the development phase.
While solar heating and cooling today makes a modest contribution to world energy
demand, the roadmap envisages that if governments and industry took concerted
action, solar energy could annually produce more than 16% of total final energy use
for low-temperature heat and nearly 17% for cooling. This would correspond to a 25fold increase in absolute terms of SHC technology deployment in the next four decades.
“Given that global energy demand for heat represents almost half of the world’s final
energy use – more than the combined global demand for electricity and transport –
solar heat can make a significant contribution in both tackling climate change and
strengthening energy security,” said Paolo Frankl, Head of the IEA’s Renewable Energy Division.
Benefiting warm climate countries
In addition to replacing fossil fuels that are directly burned to produce heat, solar
heating technologies can also replace electricity used for heating water as well as
individual rooms and buildings.
This would be especially welcome in warm climate countries without gas infrastructure and lacking alternative heating fuels. South Africa is cited as an example of a
country that would benefit, as electric water heating currently accounts for a third of
average household (coal-based) power consumption there.
On top of this, the report notes that solar thermal cooling technology – in which the
sun’s heat can be used to cool air – can reduce the burden on electric grids at times
of peak cooling demand by fully or partially replacing conventional electrically powered air conditioners in buildings.
Use in industry
The roadmap also stresses the scope for expanding use of these technologies in
industry. Often overlooked is several industry sectors’ significant energy demand for
low- and medium-temperature heat in such processes as washing, drying agricultural
products, pasteurisation and cooking.
Those industrial processes offer enormous potential for solar heating technologies,
which could supply up to 20% of total global industrial demand for low temperature
heat by 2050. However, dedicated policy support is needed for these technologies to
be used effectively.
Key actions
To realise the goal outlined, the IEA roadmap recommends key actions which governments should take over the next decade. These include creating a stable, longterm policy framework for solar heating and cooling; introducing economic incentives; and addressing barriers such as a lack of quality-control standards.
Other recommendations are for governments to provide funding and supportmechanisms for research, development and demonstration so promising technologies that are at an early stage can reach high-volume commercial production within
10 years. The roadmap also states that aid organisations in developing countries
should expand efforts to accelerate the deployment of mature and competitive SHC
technologies.
Click here to read Technology Roadmap: Solar Heating and Cooling
See all Energy Technology Roadmaps
Click here for more information on solar heat