Up to now 9 pilot systems have been installed. In 2006, four new pilot systems were erected in the fields of seawater desalination (Fraunhofer ISE), breweries (AEE INTEC) and cooling (PSE). The special focus in 2006 was on breweries and seawater desalination.

Results of studies at one Austrian and three German breweries were presented and discussed at the expert meeting in Rome. The breweries studied cover a wide range of company sizes and applications. In Austria, and first monitoring results are now available from a brewery equipped with a solar thermal system. The solar heat, which is produced with a newly developed anti-reflective double glazed flat plate collector, is also used for the brewing.

The following table gives an overview of the pilot systems.

Sea water desalination in Gran Canaria, Spain (Fraunhofer ISE, Germany)

Ongoing work in the laundry and metal surface treatment sectors, respectively, will be discussed in more detail at the next experts meeting scheduled for March 28 - 30, 2007 in Cologne, Germany.

Another promising application is factory space heating. A review of 10 systems in Austria with solar fractions between 10 and 100% was prepared by AEE INTEC.

Design guidelines for space heating of factory buildings based on TRNSYS simulations are currently under preparation and will be available in a printed version by spring 2007.