Status Review and Prospects for Solar Industrial Process Heat (SIPH)

Abstract

Application of solar energy to supply industrial process heat is attractive because industry needs a continuous supply of energy at temperature levels well suited to both current and developing solar equipment. Solar energy systems provide industrial users with a nonpolluting alternative to fossil fuels that is immune to increasing costs and uncertain future supplies. Careful design and analysis are necessary to determine suitable applications for solar energy in industry. Solar systems and components are presently available for process hot air, hot water, and steam applications at temperatures up to about 300/sup 0/C and systems operating at temperatures up to about 1000/sup 0/C are approaching commercial readiness. Cogeneration could then also become a viable option. Field tests conducted in different parts of the world have provided information needed to improve the design, operation, and performance of future solar IPH systems. In every case, matching between the solar system and the industrial process was found to be important to the amount of useful energy that a solar system can deliver.