Environmental assessment of industrial solar thermal systems

Abstract

European figures indicate that the deployment of solar thermal technologies for the supply of hot water is limited to the domestic sector, leaving untapped a large potential that could be exploited by the industrial sector. This work aims to describe the development of industrial solar thermal system penetration scenarios, in an effort to inform about the magnitude of this unexploited potential for Europe. For this purpose, the environmental performance of large-scale industrial solar thermal systems was quantified through the use of life cycle assessment (LCA) tools. A parametric LCA for two European locations allowed the definition of the relationship between solar potential and the system’s environmental performance. The results concerning the carbon-saving potential of the industrial application of solar thermal systems were assessed, with reference to the European Emissions Trading System for the development of European penetration scenarios, as well as appropriate country-based incentives for encouraging their deployment in the industrial sector.