ESTIF

As in previous years, ESTIF, the European Solar Thermal Industry Federation, has issued this publication with detailed data and numbers about the solar thermal market in the EU 27 and Switzerland in 2010.

In 2010, the European solar thermal market totalled 2.586 MWth (3.694,940 m²) of newly installed capacity, decreasing by an estimated 13% in comparison with 2009 numbers.

Click here to see the 2010 edition of this publication, referring to 2009 market data.

After considerable delays and uncertainty, the UK’s Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has been finally launched the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme on 28^th November 2011. Solar heating is one of the included technologies. The first phase of the tariff support is targeted at the non-domestic sector. This includes businesses, public sector, charities, not-for-profit organisations or industry which contributes 38% of the UK’s carbon emissions. Installations that were previously completed after 15 July 2009 will be eligible.

This week, the Swiss Bank Sarasin published the 12^th edition of their solar industry report, covering all three solar technologies: solar heating and cooling (ST), photovoltaics (PV), and concentrating solar power (CSP). The chapter on solar thermal identifies great differences in the market development of national markets and regions. While the Chinese market continues to shine, many European countries are suffering from decreasing or stagnating markets. Nevertheless, Sarasin predicts a great future, with a global average growth of 12% per year until 2020.

Apisolar, the Portuguese national solar association, expects a 30% decrease in newly installed collector area this year. The forecast until the end of 2011 is 127,000 m² (89 MW), whereas around 180,000 m² of collector area were newly installed in 2010. This year's low demand has partly been a result of the changes in the national support policy. And, some more major changes in the country’s fiscal policy are coming into effect at the beginning of 2012 - which means the downward trend is not likely to be stopped next year, too.
Source: Apisolar

The next edition of the European Solar Days – a campaign of national events aimed at promoting the use of solar energy – will be held from 1 to 13 May 2012. The initiative now includes more than 20 participants from 16 countries, who gathered on 7 and 8 November in Prague for the second European Solar Days Annual Conference. The meeting consisted of the internal project meeting with the partners and the Annual Conference, also attended by two guest countries. A total of 23 conference participants were responsible for evaluating the 2011 event and planning the 2012 campaign.
Photo: ESTIF

The Solar Heating and Cooling Programme of the International Energy Agency (IEA SHC) is planning to start its own annual conference in 2012. The conference name SHC has been chosen in reference to the long-established research programme IEA SHC. The full name is International Conference on Solar Heating and Cooling for Buildings and Industry. The 1^st SHC will take place in San Francisco from 9 to 11 July 2012 – in cooperation with the Intersolar North America (10 to 12 July 2012).

The crisis in the European key countries was present during the entire 5th European Solar Thermal Energy Conference (ESTEC) in Marseilles on 20 and 21 October 2011. Around 300 speakers and participants tried to deliver new ideas and concepts to get the industry back on track. At the second conference day, "plug and flow", "solar active houses", "fixed prices for end consumers" and "solar incentive tariffs" were among the key issues of a round-table discussion, which was moderated by Uwe Trenkner, a consultant based in Brussels (third from left).
Photo: ESTIF/ Joël Assuied

The Kingspan Breffni Park Stadium in County Cavan, Ireland, has profited from its vacuum tube collector installation since August 2010. The solar combi system by Irish company Kingspan Renewables provides solar-heated water for the showers and the heating system of the player’s sanitary facilities. 30 % of the EUR 35,000 solar investment came from a subsidy by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), granted under its Renewable Heat Deployment Programme (ReHeat).
Photo: Kingspan Renewables

While in most of Europe the solar heating and cooling market has been suffering from a decline in sales since 2009, Poland has experienced a slight growth in its national industry. According to data gathered by ESTIF (European Solar Thermal Industry Federation), Poland was the 8^th largest market for solar collectors in 2010. It has not had significant lows in newly installed collector area since 2000, but still needs a big jump forward to reach the target of 20 million m² in 2020 (see chart). Solarthermalworld.org talked to Janusz Starościk, head of the Polish heating organisation SPIUG, which has made the push for solar energy part of its agenda.
Source: IEO EC BREC