What are the application areas and system types?

In the 1980s, solar thermal systems were mostly used for domestic hot water heating in detached houses and for heating swimming pools. In 2009, 47% of the collector area operated in Austria was used for domestic hot water heating for single-family houses, and around 46% in combined systems for domestic hot water and space heating in single and multi-family houses. 5 % were used for hot water heating in hotels and tourism businesses and in apartment buildings. The remainder were collector surfaces for local and district heating supply, commercial and industrial plants and the public sector.

There is a trend towards combined systems in single-family homes, but collector surfaces are also increasingly being installed for multi-family homes and commercial applications. (Weiss/Eberl 2011)