Potential of solar thermal system for industrial process heat applications in the Tropics

Many manufacturing and service industries need thermal energy (heat), i.e. hot water, for their processes. Process heat is mostly provided using fossil fuels. As the industry sector consumes a significant share of final energy in most countries, effective utilisation of solar thermal energy for industrial process heat application would contribute to a reduction of fossil energy consumption. In tropical climates, all-year-round availability of solar energy provides a huge potential for industrial heating application. In recent years, the awareness of integrating solar thermal systems into industrial process heat applications in the temperature range of 60 to 150 °C has been increased. However, successful adoption of solar thermal energy into process heat applications depends on technical and economic viability. This paper reviews a wide range of collectors with a thermal efficiency from 60 to 80% for industrial process heat applications. The levelised cost of thermal energy (LCOEth) and the financial viability for installing solar thermal systems in Singapore is also discussed in this article.