National Renewable Energy Action Plan

Romania is a good example for a country that is still only beginning to establish a policy for solar heating and cooling – not merely on the side of the government, but also on the side of the industry and its suppliers. As of 21 December 2009, there has not yet been a date announced for the first draft of the National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP).

The Polish solar thermal industry exudes confident. It reached one of the highest growth rates of all European countries in recent years. Average growth has meant around 43% annually since 2001, according to Grzegorz Wisniewski , head of the Polish Institute for Renewable Energy (IEO). In 2009, the newly installed collector area amounted to an estimated 200,000 m²; the target for 2010 is 350,000 m².

Christine Lins, Secretary General of EREC, made this presentation during a workshop, organised by ESTIF, in Brussels, on the RES Directive implementation.

The presentation provides an overview of the RES Directive and the measures national authorities have to put in place to comply with the legislation, this is, the national renewable energy action plans (NREAPs). Related to this, the presentation also outlines the main objectives of the project REPAP, created to facilitate the process of implementation of the RES Directive on a national level

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Grzegorz Wisniewski (left), President of the Institute of Renewable Energy (IEO) in Warsaw, initiated the foundation of a coalition between solar thermal manufacturers and distributors during the second Solar Energy Industry Forum in Poznań, Poland, in May this year. Photo: IEO

It's a great step forward acknowledging solar heating and cooling to be a key factor for climate protection: For the first time, heating and cooling is covered by an European Directive. The new Energy Directive was adopted with 634 votes in favour and only 25 against and 25 absent in the European Parliament at the 17^th December 2008.