POLYMER ABSORBERS FOR SOLAR THERMAL ENERGY

A joint effort between Solarnor AS and the Energy Research group at the University of Oslo, General Electric Plastics and Kaysersberg Plastics has resulted in a new concept for polymeric solar collectors and a suitable new polymeric material for this appl ication. This pioneering work gives Norway a unique opportunity to take a leading position both commercially and scientifically in the future. Polymeric materials have in the past years received growing interest for solar thermal applications due to the cost-reduction potential with regard to low weight, better building integration and novel designs of solar thermal systems. The development in this field is expected to accelerate, partly due to the successful accomplishment of the research project based on the technology protected by Solarnor. A very important step is the new Task on POLYMERIC MATERIALS FOR SOLAR THERMAL APPL ICATIONS under the IEA's Solar Heating and Cooling program (SHCP). The ExCo has approved the proposal for initiating the new SHCP-Task for evaluating the feasibility of polymeric components by a cooperative effort of polymer experts and experts on solar systems. Solarnor considers the participation to be mandatory for maintaining a frontier position. The collaboration has a strong business promoting impact in terms of network building, new partnerships and a deeper understanding of various potential markets. Solarnor is strongly welcomed as a participant by the initiators of the new Task due to present achievements, experiences and know-how from practice, and in particular due to the production tools that becomes available for comparative studies of various n ew materials. The research topics where Solarnor plans to be active are related to - high efficiency façade integrated collectors with different colours, - exploration of methods for controlled temperature cut-off and high efficiency in the operating temperature.