The Potential of Solar Energy in Food-Industry Process Heat Applications

Abstract

In this paper an overview of the potential of solar industrial process heat, with emphasis on the food industry, is presented. The temperature requirements of food industry applications range from 60°C to 180°C. The characteristics of low to medium temperature solar collectors that can be employed are given and an analysis of the efficiency and cost of the solar systems is presented. Based on TRNSYS simulations, an estimation of the solar contribution of solar process heat plants operating in Cyprus are given for different collector technologies. The annual energy gains of such systems are from 610 to 910 kWh/m2-a and the resulting energy costs obtained for solar heat are from 0.028 to 0.05 Euro/kWh depending on the collector type applied. The costs will even be more favourable if the solar collectors become cheaper and subsidisation of the fuel is removed.