Intersolar Europe 2014 takes place from June 4–6 at Messe München.

Munich, May 8, 2014 – With a share of 40%, the heating market accounts for the largest proportion of energy consumed in Germany. Renewable heating systems therefore hold considerable potential for reducing the country's CO2 emissions. At the same time, modern heating systems that use renewable sources of energy could help to slash heating costs, as rising prices for oil and gas are increasingly becoming the critical cost factor for private households, tradesmen and industrial companies alike. Added to this we are seeing energy-related disputes with countries in politically unstable regions – regions on which the German energy industry remains heavily dependent. Intersolar Europe is therefore pushing this topic to the fore in its new focus area Renewable Heating. For the first time, the exhibition is staging a three-day forum spotlighting the technologies, current guidelines and political frameworks in this field. The Forum on Renewable Heating in hall C4 of the exhibition will be opened on June 4, 2014 at 10:30am by Hans-Josef Fell, President of the Energy Watch Group, Germany, in a presentation entitled "One hundred percent renewable heating – also a necessity for independence from Russian energy sources."

The solar thermal systems and wood pellet boilers installed in Germany prior to 2013 could replace energy imports worth 33 billion euros over the next 20 years. This is equivalent to an output of some 300 terawatt hours (TWh), or the annual energy needs of 1.25 million households, during this period. The potential for use of such systems in Germany is far from being exhausted, however. Reason enough to think more deeply about renewable heating systems as an alternative to energy imports, and not least because the crisis in Ukraine and the strained relations between Russia and the EU could also affect Europe's gas supply in the medium term. A recent study by the Berlin-based Energy Watch Group shows that the only way to gain energy independence from Russia is by using renewable energy. In light of the current discussions surrounding energy policy, the forum thus offers practical solutions to counteract this dependency.

Resource scarcity is therefore just one of the reasons why wind and solar power, biomass, geothermal energy and hydropower will provide the energy of the future. The Forum on Renewable Heating showcases comprehensive solutions and demonstrates new approaches for the energy transition in the heating market. Numerous presentations at the forum provide a stage for energy industry experts to discuss the latest conditions and future technologies.

Expert presentations and discussions

The Forum on Renewable Heating takes place from June 4–6, 2014 in hall C4 at booth C4.151. After the opening at 10:30am, the first day's presentations initially focus on the topic of pellet heating systems. Thereafter, four presentations shed light on heating supply in municipal districts, and a block of presentations on the topic of energy storage follows at 4:00pm. Experts from industry and research will provide information in their presentations on innovative technologies, current projects and the necessity of alternative energy sources. Each topic block is concluded with a discussion.

Combined heating systems in vogue

The second day of the Forum on Renewable Heating puts hybrid heat generation solutions under the spotlight. Here, possibilities for linking different energy sources are examined and discussed – even encompassing complete systems for the generation, storage, distribution and transfer of heat. Combing a decentralized CHP plant with photovoltaics, for example, may be the ideal solution for a private home wishing to supply its own power. The first presentation looks at this topic in detail from 11:00am on June 5. Further specialist knowledge will be shared in the subsequent presentations on fuel cells and micro CHP plants.

During the afternoon, the forum turns its attention to the legal framework for solar thermal technologies and pellet heating systems. The EU Regulation on eco-design requirements for water heaters and hot water storage tanks – or energy labeling for short – aims to introduce new minimum requirements and an energy label for heating systems from 2015 onward. Renewable heating systems will benefit from this new legislation the most. The potential it offers will be discussed in the session entitled "Solar thermal technologies: energy labeling – current status, challenges & opportunities for solar thermal technology providers".

Expertise on heating system upgrades

Presentations on the third day of the forum center on the topics of heating system upgrades and heat pump systems. A session on revisions to the Energy Saving Ordinance (EnEV 2014) is followed by a presentation on producing electricity with fuel cells. Another technology that can be used to replace outdated heating equipment, and thus contribute to the energy transition, is that of heat pump systems: Three sessions and a panel discussion are dedicated to new trends and technologies in this field on the afternoon of June 6. Hybrid solutions that store electricity as heat, for example those combining heat pumps and photovoltaics, provide a further topic of discussion.

Ticket holders for the Intersolar Europe exhibition can attend the Forum on Renewable Heating for free. By introducing the new topic of Renewable Heating, the world's leading exhibition for the solar industry and its partners is expanding its portfolio and thus driving forward the energy transition in the heating market.

Intersolar Europe 2014 takes place from June 4–6 at Messe München.

Further information on Intersolar Europe can be found online at www.intersolar.de