Advances in Concentrating Solar Thermal Research and Technology

18.4. Other thermal processes

In 2013, about 28% of the global final energy consumption was used by the transport sector, while about 29% was used by the industry sector (most energy-intensive industrial sectors: iron and steel, chemical and petrochemical, non-metallic minerals, food, and tobacco), and the remaining 43% were used by other energy and non-energy-related sectors, including the residential sector (23%) [205]. In particular, the industrial and residential sectors include a vast number of low- to medium-temperature process heat applications where solar thermal energy could be used. In order to serve as a generic source of process heat that can be used on demand, solar thermal energy needs to be transferred between collector and application ...