Abstract
Renewable energy has the potential to play a significant role in the decarbonization of energy-intensive industry. Recent years have seen an exponential growth in the deployment of photovoltaic systems due to the decreased costs and relative ease of installation and maintenance [1]. However, heat is the largest single demand in industry, and solar thermal collectors may offer a more energy efficient path to decarbonization.
This study investigates the potential for increased renewable energy uptake and reduced green-house gas emissions in heat- and power-intensive industries through integration of solar thermal compared to photovoltaic technologies. The open-source energy systems modelling tool EnergyModelsX [2], together with a geographical information system for the calculation of location dependent solar yields, is used to map the integration potentials considering different annual energy demands and power profiles in a range of industries, also accounting for the different geographical locations across Europe. Furthermore, conversion technologies, such as heat pumps and electric heaters, are combined with the solar technologies to investigate the overall integration potential, and how the supporting technologies can enable additional uptake of renewable energy.
Preliminary results from the study show that the solar thermal technologies benefit from the milder climate of south-Europe, whereas photovoltaic panels can contribute to significant decarbonization of the heat- and power-intensive industries also in the northern parts. Both technologies are, however, impeded by space constraints in the industrial sites, particularly for grey-field projects, limiting the on-site integration of these technologies in industry.
[1] CETO (2024) Photovoltaics in the European Union–2024 Status Report on Technology Development. DOI: 10.2760/1812909
[2] Hellemo, L. et al. (2024) EnergyModelsX: Flexible Energy Systems Modelling with Multiple Dispatch. DOI: 10.21105/joss.06619