New trends in solar thermal and photovoltaic applications

Abstract

This paper deals with the overview of worldwide position and new application possibilities of solar thermal and
photovoltaic (PV) technologies.
The worldwide situation is analysed based on the recent development shown intensively at the Solar World
Congresses organized by the International Solar Energy Society and also by the ISES-Europe Unit. Moreover, the
most recently published books in this topic served also a basic source to the overview statements.
The main area of solar thermal energy use covers the solar domestic hot water systems, the combined systems,
the large-scale systems, the swimming pool collectors, the solar district heating systems, the process heat and the
solar thermal assisted cooling systems.
The most important standpoints of the PV manufacturing and applications are as: increasing trend in energy mix,
decreasing cell and module prices, cell efficiency does not increase fast, competition between different
technologies, multi-Gigawatts applications, widening feed-in tariff system. Due to the growing market demand of
solar photovoltaic applications, several new issues came to the light, as colouring, transparency and extra size of
modules, application of thin film technologies and new fixation systems.
Examples are shown for both solar thermal and photovoltaic application possibilities.