On June 10th and 11th, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier invites you to the “Week of the Environment.” Under the motto “This is how the future works,” 150 curated exhibitors will present forward-looking projects and business models for a sustainable future and the protection of the planet. Among them is the solar collector manufacturer AKOTEC from Angermünde. The company developed a MEGA collector for feeding solar heat into district heating networks. At the Week of the Environment, AKOTEC will provide a virtual insight into this project.
For the sixth time, the Week of the Environment is organized by the Federal President in collaboration with the Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (German Federal Environmental Foundation). Originally, the event was supposed to take place in grand tents and stages at Schloss Bellevue. However, due to the pandemic, this sixth edition of the event will be held partly in person and partly in online forums in hybrid formats.
In digital specialist forums, selected exhibitors present their digital projects and concepts for a sustainable future. A specialized jury appointed by the Federal President for the Week of the Environment (WdU) selected the most innovative projects from over 400 applications. AKOTEC impressed with its MEGA collector project and presents a concept for a greener future as an exhibitor at the Week of the Environment.
The majority of Germany’s energy consumption is used for heating, such as for heating homes or producing hot water. A key pillar of this heat supply is district heating systems. These provide secure heat to consumers and can sustainably supply entire communities with renewable energy, all without fossil fuels.
To achieve the CO₂ reduction targets set by the German government, the share of district heating from renewable energies must be significantly increased. Solar thermal large systems will play a crucial role in this. As part of a project funded by the DBU (German Federal Environmental Foundation), AKOTEC developed a full-vacuum tube collector in the form of the MEGA collector.
This innovative large collector replaces the previously fragmented arrangement of solar fields. Alongside appropriately sized system components, measures for increasing efficiency and requirements for transporting the large collector were explored during the project.
“The MEGA collector truly lives up to its name. It was specifically designed for large systems and can be up to 500 m² in size, all produced here in Angermünde. Operators of district heating networks are increasingly seeking the potential of solar thermal energy. Our MEGA collector can offer a strong solution. The solar energy is fed into the heating networks 100% CO₂-free, leading to a significant reduction in CO₂ emissions,” explains AKOTEC Managing Director Katrin Sprenger about the innovative power of the MEGA collector, for which the company received the Berlin-Brandenburg Innovation Award in 2019.
The MEGA collector opens up an application area with enormous market potential for solar thermal energy, offering high economic viability and strong competitiveness compared to other energy sources and solar thermal systems. As a result of the project conducted until 2021, a market-ready, TÜV-certified MEGA collector has been developed. Two projects in Leipzig and Graz have already been completed. Additional systems are in planning or under construction.
After the opening by the President of the Federal Republic of Germany on June 10, a two-day program will begin on the main stage of Schloss Bellevue as well as in digital expert forums. The discussions on the main stages with guests such as Ursula von der Leyen and John Kerry, as well as the content of the expert forums, will be streamed live.
Funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labor and Energy with funds from the European Social Fund and the State of Brandenburg. Learn more.
