Collective solar thermal
Transferring heat from solar collectors is an ideal way of using the sun’s energy. The sun’s heat is absorbed on a flat surface and then transferred to a fluid. The fluid can be used for heating domestic tap water and for radiator heating. In addition, it can be used for large-scale operations, like district heating, heating of process fluid in industries, or solar thermal power plants.
Choose the right solar thermal partner
- With a century of experience in heat transfer and energy efficiency, Alfa Laval has the products to ensure your system is as efficient as possible.
- The safe and reliable sealing of the gasketed plate heat exchanger means there is no risk of contamination of potable water in tap water heating.
- With an Alfa Laval heat exchanger, you maximize uptime with a reduced risk of fouling due to scaling.
- Our heat exchangers are AHRI third-party performance certified, so you can rest easily that the thermal performance is as good as we say it is.
- Alfa Laval’s global service network means we have the outreach and influence to ensure the continuous functionality of your equipment.
Trend in the solar thermal industry
The heating sector is currently dominated by fossil fuels for energy, with less than 20% of the global heating demand being met by renewable sources. This means there is huge potential for the growth of solar thermal energy as a source of heat.
The interest in solar thermal heating has increased steadily over the past decade, and so has the cumulated solar thermal capacity. With this increasing interest, large-scale solar heating systems are becoming more popular, with district heating being the largest sub-sector. At the end of 2022, 325 large-scale solar district heating systems were in operation, with an installed capacity of 1,795 MWth.
The main challenges associated with solar thermal heating are fouling and the build-up of sediment. With Alfa Laval’s heat exchangers, this risk is substantially reduced with durable materials and turbulent flow. Our global service network can also ensure that your equipment runs optimally with minimum downtime.
A reliable partner, Alfa Laval shares our commitment to the global transition to renewable energy and has delivered superior heat transfer technology and expertise at our Carwarp power plant.
Richard Payne, CEO, RayGen
Solar thermal solutions from Alfa Laval
Tap water heating
In a solar water heating system, the main source of heat generation is solar panels that act as solar collectors. Since the amount of solar energy will vary throughout the day and year, a conventional boiler is often used as a backup. The collectors use the sun’s rays to heat a transfer fluid, which is usually a mixture of glycol and water. Adding glycol to the transfer fluid prevents it from freezing during the winter season. The transfer fluid flows in a closed-loop circuit that is separated from the water supply by a gasketed plate heat exchanger. After heating the tap water, the transfer fluid will circulate back to the solar collectors. With a gasketed plate heat exchanger from Alfa Laval, you ensure maximum heat efficiency and can rest easy that there is no risk of potable water contamination.
Space heating
Solar collectors in the form of solar panels can also be used for space heating. The collectors will heat a transfer fluid using the sun’s rays. The heat from the transfer fluid will then be transferred to the heating fluid in the secondary circuit using a gasketed plate heat exchanger. The hot fluid can be used to provide space heating through heated flooring, radiators, or forced hot air systems. Regardless of which, with an Alfa Laval heat exchanger you recover the maximum amount of heat, saving both energy and money in the process.
Large-scale solar thermal applications
Solar thermal power plants use the sun's energy to heat a transfer fluid to a high temperature. In order to extract maximum heat, they use mirrors to reflect and concentrate the solar radiation. This heat then needs to be transferred to water to produce superheated steam. The most efficient way to achieve this is by using a gasketed plate heat exchanger. The superheated steam is then used to turn turbines, converting mechanical energy into electricity.
Gasketed plate-and-frame heat exchangers
- Flexible solutions that can be adapted to the duty ensuring highest thermal efficiency
- Compact designs save space and are easy to service and maintain
- Solutions to reduce fouling, stress and corrosion for maximum uptime
Semi-welded plate heat exchangers
- Highly efficient, reliable technology for applications that can cause pressure or temperature fatigue
- Guaranteed long sealing lifetime thanks to unique Alfa Laval RefTight™ sealing system
- A dependable solution for preventing cross-contamination between media
Brazed plate heat exchangers
- Lightweight copper-brazed construction with compact footprint
- Greater thermal efficiency than comparable shell-and-tubes
- Flexible options to fit a variety of applications with all different types of media/fluids
- Ideal for natural and low-GWP refrigerants
Fusion bonded AlfaNova heat exchangers
- True 100% stainless steel construction
- Strong corrosion resistance with aggressive media
- Prevents metal contamination in drinking water and other hygienic applications
- High thermal efficiency and compact footprint
컨설턴트 ? 시스템 인티그레이터 ?
당신은 컨설턴트입니까? 주목해주세요! 열 교환 분야에서 축적된 수십 년간의 경험을 바탕으로 알파라발은 오늘날의 냉난방 문제에 대한 지식이 풍부한 리소스를 제공합니다. 귀하의 응용 분야에 적합한 기술을 보다 쉽게 찾을 수 있게 해주는 유용한 도구와 함께 에너지 효율성부터 천연 냉매까지 이 모든 것에 대한 복합적인 질문에 대한 답을 찾아보세요.
AHRI 성능 인증을 받은 열교환기
AHRI(공조, 난방 및 냉동 연구소)의 인증은 열 성능에 대한 유일한 글로벌 제3자 검증으로서, 귀하의 판형 열교환기가 제조업체가 게시한 등급에 따라 작동할 것이라는 독자적인 보증을 제공합니다. 알파라발은 AHRI 의 인증을 받은 가스켓 판형 열교환기, 브레이징 판형 열교환기, 융합접합 판형 열교환기를 제공합니다.
효율성 유지
열교환기가 제대로 작동하지 않으면 안전, 제품 품질 및 에너지 비용에 영향을 미칠 수 있습니다. 고장이 나면 생산량에 큰 손실이 생기고 가동 중지 중에도 계속 비용이 나가게 됩니다. 정기적이고 사전 예방적인 유지 관리를 통해 개스킷 판형 열교환기의 성능은 유지되고 문제 없이 예측 가능하게 작동합니다.
우리는 지금 문제가 발생한 상태거나 향후 문제를 예방하고 싶거나 온라인 해결사를 통해 문제를 직접 해결하고 싶은 경우 도움을 줄 수 있는 전문 지식을 보유하고 있습니다.
에너지효율성을 위한 디지털
스마트 시티와 디지털 지능는 도시가 지속 가능한 개발 목표의 70%를 달성하는 데 도움을 줄 수 있습니다. 디지털 서비스는 이미 도시의 냉난방 시스템에 상당한 영향을 미쳐 지속가능성을 더 향상시켰습니다.
원격 모니터링을 활성화하고 전용 분석을 수행하면 더 정확하고 효율적인 운영, 더 많은 정보에 입각한 의사 결정 및 목표 개입이 가능합니다. 더욱 정교하고 효율적인 냉난방 시스템의 개발은 이러한 디지털 전환을 통해서만 가능하며, 이는 온실 가스 배출을 줄이면서 도시 지역에 안정적이고 저렴한 냉난방 서비스를 제공할 수 있습니다.
HVAC and the Sustainable cities
Consuming more than two-thirds of the world’s energy, our cities play a crucial role in tackling the climate crisis. A considerable part of cities’ energy consumption is for heating and cooling, which means improving energy efficiency is paramount. Alfa Laval has almost a century of experience in heat transfer and recovery and aims to become carbon neutral by 2030. Let us be your partner in the transformation to a sustainable tomorrow.
