Lukas Omlin

There is a lack of knowledge on the lifetime assessment of modern solar selective absorbers. In the project ColourAge, the performance and durability of different aluminium based coatings are studied. The combined effect of high humidity, condensation and temperature on the degradation of optical and chemical properties is assessed. Advanced techniques for materials characterization were used to identify the main degradation mechanisms: surface/interface (XPS, TEM) and chemical (EDX) analysis, as well as optical measurements (UV-Vis-NIR and FTIR spectroscopy).

Clean water, a reliable power supply and cooling systems for medicines and vaccines are not a given in many rural hospitals in Africa. To ensure better healthcare also in remote regions, the EU is supporting SophiA project, which relies on modular containers to produce drinking water, heat, cold and electricity using solar energy. SPF Institute for Solar Technology is part of the international team responsible for the solar technology, the Life Cycle Assessment of the SophiA systems as well as the energy management and control of the subsystems.

Within the EU project Hybrid-BioVGE an innovative system for heating and cooling is developed. The cooling device is based on a Variable Geometry Ejection (VGE) cooler. Driving energy is heat from solar collectors or from biomass. SPF is supporting the development of collectors that deliver heat at 75 – 90 °C, and is testing the heating and cooling system with the established Concise Cycle Test (CCT) method. This method is specifically adapted in order to be able to test also cooling systems.

The project is supported by the research programme H2020 of the European Union – grant agreement ID: 818012, acronym Hybrid-BioVGE