In Sun-Drenched Greece, Carlsberg Pilots Solar Thermal Innovation

Jul 20, 2021 12:03 PM ET
  • Benefiting from what is still plenty of untapped solar energy in Greece, Carlsberg Team is mounting what the business claims is one of the most effective solar thermal system presently on the marketplace. The system will produce warmth, reducing using fossil fuels at the same time, and maybe a huge action towards Carlsberg's goal of zero carbon emissions in its breweries by 2030.
In Sun-Drenched Greece, Carlsberg Pilots Solar Thermal Innovation
Image: Carlsberg Group and Absolicon; Dragos Gontariu/Unsplash

The benefits of solar thermal innovation

The solar thermal collectors will be designed and also made by Absolicon, a Swedish business concentrating on commercial heating processes. In an interview in 2014, Absolicon Chief Executive Officer Joakim Byström claimed breweries, milk cpus as well as the textile industry are optimal applications for this modern technology.

Although several firms are switching to eco-friendly electrical power, heating usually eats the lion's share of the overall energy usage in these markets, largely due to the demand to wash bottles or textiles, warmth active ingredients, or sterilize items. Various other sectors that might take advantage of solar thermal collectors consist of mining, desalination, pulp as well as paper, and pharmaceuticals.

Carlsberg, a multinational Danish empire that owns dozens of beer brand names, aims to produce 100 percent of its electricity from renewable resources at its breweries as well as to utilize no coal by 2022. The company says it is analyzing numerous crucial locations of sustainability, looking far past clean electrical power.

Carlsberg builds on its sustainability record

In addition to its focus on tidy power, the firm is also implementing water preservation measures, especially in high-risk locations. The business has additionally taken on various other sustainability tasks. For instance, Carlsberg is partnering with WWF to resolve the loss of sea yard, an underrated carbon sink. The company has actually also rolled out breeze packs that are held together by adhesive, not cling wrap or rings.

As for its investments in renewables go, Carlsberg's use solar thermal modern technology is appealing because it can be used to retrofit existing systems, reducing upfront costs.

Absolicon developed its solar thermal systems to integrate with existing tools, producing a hybrid method. These varieties focus on emissions-free warm and also vapor for industrial applications, with temperatures up to 320 degrees Fahrenheit (160 degrees Celsius). When enough solar sources are not offered, a plant's management team then can resort to currently existing equipment to create heat.

Unlike solar photovoltaic technology, which produces power, solar thermal collectors create heat by focusing the sun's power. The most effective solar photovoltaic panel currently on the market is 23 percent effective in transforming solar power right into electricity. By contrast, Alsolicon's T160 solar batteries are 76 percent effective in converting solar power to warm, according to the producer. Whereas solar electrical energy is saved in batteries, solar thermal warmth is stored in containers. Then, warm is transferred utilizing a warmth exchanger with pipelines.

An increase for renewables investment in Greece

In 2020, Greece included 913 megawatts of solar electrical energy capacity and also is a swiftly growing solar energy market. In December, the Greek government approved 4 new renewable power tasks as part of its drive to recuperate from economic shocks that arised from the worldwide pandemic.

As the nation looks for near to an extra $12 billion (10 billion euros) in tidy innovation investments, Greece is likewise bring in leading tidy energy gamers such as Masdar, which in May accepted a 65-megawatt solar photovoltaic plant in collaboration with a Finland-based company.

The Carlsberg job can aid advance the nation's solar thermal sector.

Why the potential of solar goes far past power

The exact economic and also carbon exhausts cost savings of these solar thermal systems rely on the energy source they displace. In some nations, oil is made use of to sustain these heating processes, the use of which includes a substantial carbon footprint. These solar thermal systems can have a repayment period as short as 3 years, relying on the circumstance.

When thinking about renewable energy, a huge focus has actually gotten on solar electrical energy, stated Byström of Absolicon. Although this is certainly an essential facet of the tidy energy activity, electricity make up 30 percent of international energy consumption. By comparison, heating and cooling make up 49 percent of the world's total energy use, hence presenting a crucial location to address in order to slow down environment modification. If Alsolicon's modern technology is effectively deployed in commercial procedures, it could be crucial in companies satisfying zero-emissions objectives.


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