Seasonal Storage of Solar Energy: Which Future for Europe?

Abstract

Only 20% (in Roma) to 30% (Kobenhavn) of the annual amount of solar, radiation reaching a horizontal surface is available, from October to March [1] . Thus the use of a seasonal storage in a solar-heating system leads to

• - increase (i. e double. for instance) the amount of energy delivered by a given solar collector area in rather sunny european countries (typically France).

• - allow the use of solar energy for heating purposes in northern countries where the incoming energy during the winter months is too low (typically Sweden)