Spain

In the services sector, hotels are a high energy consumer, which offers a good opportunity to promote the use of renewable energy sources, including solar thermal, in the tourism sector, especially in the Mediterranean region, as this paper emphasizes.

This paper goes through the potential of the RES' use in the total energy consumption of hotels situated in the Spanish Balearic Islands, a very famous touristic destination, with about half a million beds available.

“How long is the warranty period of your flat plate or your vacuum tube collector?” This question was posed as part of a global solar thermal industry survey to 300 collector manufacturers from 40 different countries. Figure: solrico

The demonstration of best practise - a solar thermal system on the roof of the Saida Governmental Hospital - showed some technical deficiencies at second glance. The monitoring of the system led to a check list including preventive maintenance advice.
Photo: Solarnet

This report was published on December 2009, parallel to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) summit taking place in Copenhagen, to bring authorities' attention to solar energy and the relevant contribution it can provide to reducing GHG emissions.

Four international conferences on solar heating and cooling will take place in the first three months of the year: The Solar Thermal Conference at 4/5 March 2010 in Wels, Austria, the First Annual Conference of the European Technology Platform on Renewable Heating and Cooling 23/24 February 2010 in Bilbao, Spain, the 1^st SMEThermal Conference, at 4 March 2010 in Berlin, Germany, and the Solar Air-conditoning and Refrigeration Workshop at 27 January in Orlando, Florida, USA.

the first Annual Conference of the European Technology Platform on Renewable Heating and Cooling (RHC-ETP) will take place on the 23^rd and 24^th February 2010 in Bilbao, Spain.

The Secretariat of the RHC-ETP is very glad to announce that the event will be held under the auspices of the Spanish Presidency with the joint support of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and of the Basque Energy Board (EVE). The two days conference will be organised in close collaboration with the Spanish Association of Renewable Energy Producers (APPA).

This document explains how feed-in tariffs (FIT) contributed to the success of solar thermal energy in Spain, especially concentrating solar power (CSP).

The document provides a comprehensive introduction to feed-in tariffs, its use in Spain, the main elements of the Spanish legislation and how the feed-in tariffs schemes were adapted to CSP technology The first royal decree introducing feed-in tariffs for solar thermal power was introduced in 2002 and was updated in 2006 and 2007.

Mr Pascual Polo, Secretary General of the Spanish Solar Thermal Association - ASIT - gave this presentation during a Workshop organised by ESTIF on 2nd December on the implementation of the RES Directive.

The presentation goes through the Spanish solar thermal market and the implementation of the RES Directive.

The 13^th edition of the trade show will be held between 19 and 21 May in Feria de Madrid and will, to be once again one of the main meeting and business points with regard to renewable energy and energy efficiency in Spain.

Last year the organisers counted 26,545 visitors for the 686 exhibitors.

This document serves as a media kit for the 2009 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon.

In this decathlon, 20 university-led teams from the United States, Germany, Canada and Spain to design, build and operate the most attractive, energy-efficient, solar-powered house. The reason behind this annual decathlon is to encourage young people to pursue careers in the field as well as to educate and train the decathletes, as well as the general public, in the benefits of renewable technology like solar thermal and solar electric.