More large-scale solar thermal systems for district heating went into operation nationwide last year than ever before - partly due to the promotion of innovative CHP systems.
About 34,000 square meters of new solar collector space were added in Germany in 2022. Thus, the total stock of solar thermal systems increased to 146,204 square meters. This is shown by data collected by the Steinbeis research institute Solites as part of the "SolnetPlus" project.
The total collector area grew accordingly compared to the same period last year by 30 percent. The calculated heat output of district heating solar thermal systems thus reached the three-digit megawatt range for the first time: currently, up to 102 megawatts of solar thermal energy can be fed into district heating, Solites said in its March 21 statement.
A total of 49 district heating solar thermal plants are now in operation. With the exception of Saarland and Bremen, Solites now lists such plants in every German state on its map of solar heating networks. The strong growth in 2022 was mainly due to Germany's largest solar thermal plant in Greifswald, with 18,732 square meters of collector area alone, and the third-largest plant in Lemgo. The 2,312 square meter plant in Dettenhausen also deserves a special mention. It is the largest solar thermal plant on a roof, while the other solar heating networks rely on more cost-effective ground-mounted plants. The plants in Greifswald and Lemgo are part of an innovative CHP system.
"Since last year, the issues of energy procurement and security of supply have presented the entire district heating industry with sometimes dramatic challenges," also confirms Heiko Huther, division manager for research and development at the district heating association AGFW. "Solar thermal energy has since become even more of a focus for our member companies. It is not only a technically proven option for many years to achieve the climate protection goals of our industry. Rather, large solar thermal systems also help make supply less vulnerable to crises and stabilize district heating prices."
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