Ukraine: First Demonstration Projects Show the Way to Solar District Heating
by Vladislava Adamenkova
The district heating networks from Soviet times are theoretically well
supplemented by solar thermal heat. However, except for Poland, solar
thermal district heating is in its infancy in Eastern Europe. Bulgaria
and Romania do not yet have any plans or projects to combine district
heating with Solar thermal, but the Ukraine has already planted the
first seeds. The municipal utility Mariupolteploset, one of the biggest
heat supplying companies in the Ukraine, has installed three solar
fields that feed into district heating networks in the district Donezk
in Eastern Ukraine between 2008 and 2012. Other municipalities also
announce the first solar district heating demonstration plants when
modernising local energy stations and distribution systems.
Read more»
China/Shandong: China’s Biggest Provincial Market to Set New Quality Standards
by Simon Goess
Shandong is among the Chinese provinces with the most advanced solar
thermal industry in China. Simon Goess (left), a researcher from the
Netherlands, has recently carried out a number of interviews with
stakeholders to understand how the province fosters innovation. The
photo shows the interview with Dr Yuwu Li, Head of the Solar Application
Product Inspection Laboratory in Shandong’s capital city Jinan. Li
expects a quick development of building-integrated solar water heating
systems and establishes new standards.
Read more»
Europe: 1.19 GW and 15,000 Jobs Lost Since Boom Year of 2008
by Bärbel Epp
It’s a disaster. There is not much more to say about the statistics of
the solar thermal market in Europe. The newly installed capacity dropped
again, this time by 11% compared to the previous year, down to 2.14 GWth.
All large markets were shrinking – even Poland and Denmark, whose
market volume had grown significantly in 2012. According to the annual
studies by the European Solar Thermal Industry Federation (ESTIF), the
sector has lost 1.19 GWth (1.7 million m²) and around 15,000 jobs all across Europe since the boom year of 2008.
Read more»
Austria: Climate and Energy Fund's New Programme Subsidises Solar Houses
by Stephanie Banse
On 13 June
2014, the Austrian Climate and Energy Fund launched the subsidy scheme
Demo Projects Solar House 2014, a new incentive programme for private
builders. The stated aim is to gain practical experience with buildings
in which at least 70 % of the heat is supplied by solar thermal energy.
The programme offers a total of EUR 700,000 in investment grants in 2014
to integrate solar thermal technology into about 40 houses during a
first start-up phase. The photo shows Ingmar Höbarth (left), Managing
Director of the Climate and Energy Fund, and Andrä Rupprechter, Austrian
Federal Minister for Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water
Management, at the kick-off event for the new funding programme. Photo: Thomas Preiss / APA
Read more»
Romania: Former and Present Environmental Minister Brings Back Green House Programme
by Mihai Vintila
It looks like the Romanian solar thermal sector is benefitting from the
frequent changes at the head of the country’s Ministry of Environment
and Climate Change, MMSC. During a press conference on 20 May 2014,
Attila Korodi, Minister for the Environment since the beginning of March
2014, announced the reactivation of the Green House Programme, Casa
Verde, which was halted in 2011. As the former head of the same
ministry, Korodi was responsible for the implementation of Casa Verde at
the end of 2008. It took some time, however, until the programme could
finally start in June 2011. During the press conference, Korodi said
that he wanted to review the pending applications from 2011 and planned
to subsidise 13,000 systems in 2014.
Read more»
|