Marketing Campaign
- Germany: Haier’s Loss Leader Strategy-
Internationally operating Haier Group, the world’s fourth largest appliance manufacturer, has caused quite a stir prior to the IFH/Intherm (Trade Fair for Sanitation, Heating, Air Conditioning, Renewable Energies ), which took place in Nuremberg, Germany, at the beginning of April. The fax that the Chinese group’s German sales office, Haier Deutschland GmbH, had sent to plumbers and distributors in Southern Germany showed a bargain price of 666 Euros for an entire solar thermal hot water system.
Photo: Matthias Hüttmann - Ukraine: “A Collector is trendy and shows a certain Lifestyle”-
With an estimated market volume of 10,000 m2 in 2009, the solar thermal market in the Ukraine is still in its infancy. The two main customer groups are the new middle class and the tourism sector. By interviewing local collector manufacturers, German agency solrico analysed the potential of the Ukraine and its barriers to market development. The map shows the sites of the solar thermal manufacturers that took part in the survey.
Map: German Energy Agency 2009 - Mexico: Vacuum tubes in 48 % of residential Solar Water Heaters -
The marketing campaign for solar hot water systems in the residential sector in Mexico, Procalsol (2007 to 2012), bore fruit: According to the annual market statistics of the National Association of Solar Energy (ANES), the newly installed collector area in households almost tripled from 53,183 m2 in 2008 to 132,934 m2 last year. - Solar Energy Promotional Campaign - Berlin, Germany-
Despite greatly enhanced equipment quality and improved system efficiencies, neither solar thermal nor photovoltaics have yet succeeded in capturing appreciable market shares in Europe.
However, thanks to political engagement on site, there are a number of good examples at local level. With its Solar Campaign, Berlin has set itself the goal of triggering a demand-side impetus for solar energy and thus helping this technology to achieve a breakthrough.
- Solarge: Province of Turin-
The Province of Turin implemented a promotion campaign for large-scale solar thermal plants between 2003 and 2006. The campaign addressed both, investors and technicians, thus enhancing local know-how establishment. Through a call for tenders three buildings were chosen for the installation of large scale solar plants. The Province of Turin provided a co-financing of the systems, as well as scientific support to the investors: a training course about large-scale solar thermal systems took place in 2003 and was attended, among others, by the planners of the three systems chosen within the call. These planners were then supported in the design of the plant and in choosing the best components. The scientific support was provided during the installation, too. Finally, a one-year monitoring was carried out. The three systems are currently in operation. The outcomes of the projects were disseminated towards Public Administrations, technicians and citizens through the Province’s website, brochures and conventions.
