Towards a New Global Standard for Solar Thermal Collectors
Abstract
The practical approach to quality assurance in solar thermal heating and cooling technology with regards to components and systems is standardization and testing. It is very important for growth and development that the standards and test methods keep track with recent developments and allow maximum flexibility for future innovations. Good, operational and generally accepted standards are an essential part of the market conditions and the basis for a large and open market. Standards and pre-standards are established, but work is still needed in order to keep track with recent technological developments in the direct use of solar thermal energy (i.e. new materials, concentrating devices, etc.) and in combination with other technologies (cooling, heat pumps, etc.). New member states also bring new opportunities for market development. In order to make this development really strong and quality oriented it is essential that the quality requirements and the public incentives and regulations for solar thermal technologies that rely on them are integrated with and adapted to the current best practice. This Paper gives a review of the current national and international standardization situation as well as standard committees and working groups in the area of solar thermal products. Furthermore it describes the latest changes within the current revision of the European testing standard EN 12975-1,2:2006.