Solar process heat for surface treatment

As an industrialized country, Germany has a high demand for process heat, which is still largely generated using fossil fuels. Solar thermal energy already supplies controllable process heat between 50 and 430 °C in many parts of Europe and is also economically viable in Germany. This means that the systems can be used in many areas of industry, e. g. in the field of surface- and heat treatment. By integrating heat storages up to 75 % of the thermal energy demand can be covered. The hybridization of a solar thermal system with other renewable sources enables the year-round provision of renewable process heat. The article explains the basics of solar technology and shows how solar process heat can be generated and stored. It also shows the possibilities for integrating a solar thermal system in an industrial environment.Finally, the economic efficiency, current funding programs and the political framework conditions (e. g. CO2 tax) for the use of solar process heat in industry are explained.