PLENARY 5: Innovative Ways of Using Solar Thermal Technologies in Sunbelt Countries
Nearly 50% of global final energy consumption is used for heating and cooling demands. In this context, solar thermal technologies offer a promising solution for sustainable thermal energy production, particularly in sunbelt countries, where high solar irradiation creates ideal conditions for their implementation. This session will focus on statistics from these countries related to innovation and development in solar thermal energy. It will discuss some ongoing developments, their current Technology Readiness Levels (TRL), and provide some examples of successful applications in various subfields of solar thermal energy, including domestic hot water, drying, cooking, refrigeration, power generation, and solar heating for industrial processes (SHIP).
Speakers
Dr. Naghelli Ortega Avila
Dr. Naghelli Ortega Avila holds a Ph.D. in Energetic Engineering from the National Autonomous University of Mexico. She is a researcher at the Research Center for Advanced Materials (CIMAV), one of the 26 institutions coordinated by the Mexican Secretariat of Science, Humanities, Technology, and Innovation. Her research focuses on the design and implementation of solar thermal technologies for low- and medium-temperature applications across domestic, commercial, and industrial sectors. Dr. Ortega Avila has contributed to Tasks 64, 66, and 69 of the Solar Heating and Cooling Technology Collaboration Programme of the International Energy Agency. Since 2021, she has served as President of Mexico’s National Technical Committee for Solar Energy Standardization.