Thermal energy is a key component of energy use in the United States and around the world, particularly in the industrial sector. Energy used for process heat and space heating accounts for 75 percent of global final industrial energy demand. In the U.S., fossil fuel combustion to produce heat and steam creates about 52 percent of U.S. industrial direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
At present, renewable energy meets only 13 percent of global industrial heat demand. Solar thermal technologies produce less than 1 percent of global industrial heat, despite having a much greater technical potential.
The Renewable Thermal Collaborative (RTC) is developing a series Technology Action Plans (TAPs) to accelerate the deployment of specific renewable thermal technologies and solutions. This Solar Thermal Technology Assessment (TA) is designed to provide the substantive basis for RTC Members to consider developing a full solar thermal TAP.
Download the full factsheet here.
To learn more, read our full report, Solar Thermal Technology Assessment, here.
