Final Report Summary - TERMISOL (New low-emissivity and long lasting paints for cost-effective solar collectors)
The absorber surface of common flat plate solar thermal devices is high-cost equipment, whose treatments are mainly based on heavy metals' application. The aim of TERMISOL project was to develop innovative selective paints, with high photo-thermal performance in solar energy conversion for coating solar collectors, in order to reduce the cost and increase the efficiency of the technology.
The proposal had industrial advantages that facilitated application processes in comparison to commercial alternatives and produced surfaces with structured morphology at defined thickness ranges. Multilayer paint systems were applied to adjust the entire system performance. The proposed technology was particularly suited to the Mediterranean countries, which provided optimal solar irradiation conditions and had steadily growing demand for renewable energy applications. In comparison to the standard solar black paints, the technology was more effective and durable. Moreover, in comparison to conventional inorganic selective surfaces, the paints were easily applied, did not utilise heavy metals, had reduced production cost and required less energy for the manufacturing process.
TERMISOL exploited scientific and engineering expertise in sol-gel and silicone based processes, analysed polymeric materials, constructed and examined the performance of solar collectors. The formulation activities focused on the selection of adequate raw materials, the pigment dispersion and the search for application methods that enabled low coating thickness. The different formulations were characterised using optical and physicochemical methodologies. The reflectance and adhesion of the coatings were also measured so as to evaluate the developed alternatives.
The most promising coatings were artificially aged and successfully compared to silicone-based commercial products, since they appeared to have improved ageing resistance. Furthermore, a real-scale prototype was developed and assessed based on theoretical analysis and performance monitoring. Field tests were also undertaken to evaluate the system performance.
The acquired knowledge was disseminated through numerous activities, including press notes, preparation of brochures and posters for fairs and continuous update of the project website. Finally, two workshops were organised to discuss solar energy applications, with numerous participants of different nationalities.
The proposal had industrial advantages that facilitated application processes in comparison to commercial alternatives and produced surfaces with structured morphology at defined thickness ranges. Multilayer paint systems were applied to adjust the entire system performance. The proposed technology was particularly suited to the Mediterranean countries, which provided optimal solar irradiation conditions and had steadily growing demand for renewable energy applications. In comparison to the standard solar black paints, the technology was more effective and durable. Moreover, in comparison to conventional inorganic selective surfaces, the paints were easily applied, did not utilise heavy metals, had reduced production cost and required less energy for the manufacturing process.
TERMISOL exploited scientific and engineering expertise in sol-gel and silicone based processes, analysed polymeric materials, constructed and examined the performance of solar collectors. The formulation activities focused on the selection of adequate raw materials, the pigment dispersion and the search for application methods that enabled low coating thickness. The different formulations were characterised using optical and physicochemical methodologies. The reflectance and adhesion of the coatings were also measured so as to evaluate the developed alternatives.
The most promising coatings were artificially aged and successfully compared to silicone-based commercial products, since they appeared to have improved ageing resistance. Furthermore, a real-scale prototype was developed and assessed based on theoretical analysis and performance monitoring. Field tests were also undertaken to evaluate the system performance.
The acquired knowledge was disseminated through numerous activities, including press notes, preparation of brochures and posters for fairs and continuous update of the project website. Finally, two workshops were organised to discuss solar energy applications, with numerous participants of different nationalities.
