The International Energy Agency (IEA) has called for greater political support for solar thermal power, after a new report found the technology could meet one-sixth of global demand for heating and cooling, saving 800 megatonnes (MT) of CO2 emissions a year by 2050.

The IEA launched a report on Monday outlining ways of boosting the global uptake of solar heating and cooling technologies as a means of replacing fossil fuels.

It argued there was potential for developers to install nearly 3,500GWth of capacity for hot water and space heating in buildings, 1,000GWth for cooling, and 200GWth for heating swimming pools.

The new roadmap also warned that businesses often overlook the potential of solar thermal technologies to fulfil low- and medium-temperature heat processes, such as washing, drying agricultural products, pasteurisation, and cooking.

It concluded industrial solar heating technologies could supply up to 20 per cent of total global industrial demand for low temperature heat by 2050, adding that if solar heating and cooling technologies reached their full potential it would avoid 800Mt of CO2 emissions a year by 2050 – equivalent to the annual emissions of Germany.

“Awareness is growing of the urgent need to turn political statements and analytical work into concrete action,” said IEA executive director Maria van der Hoeven.

“The global energy need for heat is significant in both OECD and non-OECD countries: in 2009 the IEA reported that global energy demand for heat represented 47 per cent of final energy use. Solar heat thus can make a substantial contribution in meeting climate change and security objectives.”

The report calls on political leaders to provide long-term and stable policies to support renewable heat and urges them to introduce economic incentives that would encourage a greater deployment of solar thermal.

It also urged governments to address key barriers to deployment, such as a lack of quality-control standards, provide increased funding for research, and improve support for early stage renewable heat technologies on the path to commercialisation.

In addition, the roadmap said aid organisations in developing countries should work to accelerate the deployment of mature and competitive solar heating and cooling technologies.

In related news, the IEA yesterday launched a report calling on the Irish government to boost investment in renewable technologies, despite it already having some of the most ambitious green energy targets in the world.

Ireland plans to produce 40 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020, much of which is expected to come from wind and marine power.

However, the review warned that such an ambitious push could force Ireland to become more dependent on gas-fired power plants that would be required to provide back-up capacity when wind power was unavailable.

“At a time when many governments are shying away from their commitments to clean energy, Ireland has courageously resisted the temptation to scale back its own,” said van der Hoeven.

“A lot has been achieved, yet there is more to do. Now is not the time for complacency.”