How about that other solar - you know, the not so sexy kind?
It's definitely not getting the attention it merits:
Overview
The solar heating and cooling (SHC) roadmap outlines a pathway for solar energy to supply almost one sixth (16.5 EJ) of the world’s total energy use for both heating and cooling by 2050. This would save some 800 megatonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per year; more than the total CO2 emissions in Germany in 2009.
While solar heating and cooling today makes a modest contribution to world energy demand, the roadmap envisages that if concerted action is taken by governments and industry, solar energy could annually produce more than 16% of total final energy use for low temperature heat and nearly 17% for cooling. Given that global energy demand for heat represents almost half of the world’s final energy use – more than the combined global demand for electricity and transport – solar heat can make a significant contribution in both tackling climate change and strengthening energy security.
Key Findings
Solar collectors for hot water and space heating could reach an installed capacity of nearly 3 500 GWth, satisfying annually around 8.9 EJ of energy demand for hot water and space heating in the building sector by 2050. Solar hot water and space heating accounts for 14% of space and water heating energy use by that time.
Solar collectors for low-temperature process heat in industry (< 120oC) could reach an installed capacity of 3 200 GWth, producing around 7.2 EJ solar heat per year by 2050. Solar process heat accounts for 20% of energy use for low temperature industrial heat by that time.
Solar heat for cooling could reach a contribution of 1.5 EJ per year from an installed capacity of more than 1 000 GWth for cooling, accounting for nearly 17% of energy use for cooling in 2050.
Swimming pool heating could reach an installed capacity of 200 GWth, producing annually around 400 PJ solar heat by 2050.
By achieving the above mentioned deployment levels, solar heating and cooling can avoid some 800 megatonnes (Mt) of CO2 emissions per year by 2050.
Achieving this roadmap’s vision requires a rapid expansion of solar hot water heating in the building sector, including in solar supported district heating, as well as in industrial applications. Dedicated policy support should overcome barriers related to information failures, split incentives and high up-front investments.
While a number of industrial and agricultural processes can use low-temperature flat-plate collectors, advanced flat-plate collectors and concentrating technology should be further developed to produce medium-temperature heat. Industrial process heat offers enormous potential in sectors that use low- and medium-temperature heat for processes such as washing, leaching (mining industry), drying of agricultural products, pre-heating of boiler feed water, pasteurisation and cooking.
The development of compact storage will allow heat to be transferred so that it can be used when the load is required, aiding the deployment of solar space heating in individual buildings. Dedicated research, development and demonstration (RD&D) resources could make compact storage commercially viable between 2020 and 2030.
Solar cooling could avoid the need for additional electricity transmission capacity caused by higher average peak loads from the rapidly increasing cooling demand in many parts of the world. With substantially higher RD&D resources, standardised, cost competitive and reliable solar cooling systems could enter the market between 2015 and 2020.
Used with permission © 2013 OECD/IEA
http://www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/publication/name,28277,en.html
3.5TW thermal of capacity by 2050. That's a lot of energy in my opinion.
= new reply since forum marked as read
it does the opposite. 
I thought this thread was about sunbathing.
You're the "solar lover" who has an unwavering compulsion to malign solar at every turn. An uninformed observer might be forgiven for concluding you are a plant by the utility, nuclear or fossil fuel industry.
Not difficult at all.
Here you are judged by the posts you make and the ideas/beliefs/values that are expressed in those posts.
You aren't a realist when you disregard the research of hundreds of the worlds top researchers. Knowing what that research says and how things are progressing on the ground has nothing to do with religion or fantasy - it is simple direct application of knowledge and the scientific method.
You are a fake who is dedicated to smearing solar. Nothing more, nothing less.
> How freaking difficult is it to make up a bio like that on the anonymous internet?
> Not difficult at all.
> Here you are judged by the posts you make and the ideas/beliefs/values that are
> expressed in those posts.
> You are a fake who is dedicated to smearing XYZ. Nothing more, nothing less.
Remember that every point you just threw at an anonymous person on the internet
applies equally to you - another anonymous person on the internet.
I've been running with solar hot water (evacuated pipe type) for several years now
and have been very happy with it.
Yes, the company that originally sold it to me was on the scam side of legit - the installation
was originally missing two useful components (!) and the company did a phoenix flit to get
out of any obligations after a short time (both the "get £X for each recommended customer"
enticement and the supplier warranty) - but even after that, I'm still happy with it ... I didn't
invest my money in SHW for the sake of a quick profit but for the sake of "doing the right thing".
My savings on water heating and my general satisfaction with it have more than justified
the decision so I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who has a suitable situation.
