European Copper Institute (ECI) contributes to political debate, directly and through stakeholder platforms, sharing its expertise of copper-based products and technical building services and their contribution to the Commission goal of a carbon-neutral building stock. ECI has a considerable knowledge base and multidisciplinary expertise in technology, chemical policy and life cycle relating to copper and its applications. It also has established outreach channels aimed at supporting its advocacy towards the EU institutions.

Solarthermalworld.org was initiated by ECI in 2008 with the aim of providing stakeholders from research, public and private sector all around the globe with first-class information about solar heating and cooling to stimulate market growth. The ECI has supported the hosting of the website as well as the content gathering continuously since 2008.

Please see below our most recent articles:

PVT heat pump

“PVT heat pump systems will become standard in the Netherlands”

After France, the Netherlands has the largest specific PVT area installed per 1,000 inhabitants in Europe. At the end of 2022, a total of 111,342 m2 of PVT collectors were in operation. Between 30,000 and 40,000 m2 are added every year. A well-established Dutch industry offers PVT elements. We spoke …
Big solar heat deal

Big solar heat deal in the Chilean copper sector made possible by two people

Construction will start on three enormous solar industrial heat plants in Chile in the next months. The Chilean power utility Gasco is investing USD 71 million in three flat plate collector fields with a total capacity of 154 MW and will deliver heat for the electrowinning baths to the two …
Growing PVT production capacity

Growing production capacities of PVT collectors in Europe

European PVT manufacturers are anticipating strong growth in demand and expanding their factories. In November 2023 Abora Solar from Spain inaugurated its extended factory in Zaragoza, which has a capacity of 200,000 units per year, totalling 80 MWel. Sunmaxx PVT is building a PVT production plant in Saxony, eastern Germany, …
main drivers in Cyprus

Stable development for sunny Cyprus

In 2022 Cyprus achieved an impressive 5 % increase in its solar collector area additions, reaching the pre-Pandemic level of 74,000 m2 of newly installed collector area (51.8 MW). This growth was not only the result of the ongoing and extensive public grant schemes but also the “widespread development of …
heat transition in Germany

Largest solar industrial heat plant in Germany heats gas

Mid-November was a turbulent week for the heat transition in Germany. On 21 November, one of the largest solar process heat plants in Germany went into operation – a 1.5 MW vacuum tube collector field for a gas pressure regulating system. In the same week, HeatExpo, a trade fair specifically …
Positive Energy Districts

Step by step, the Bulgarian city of Smolyan is aiming to become an energy-positive city

At the beginning of October 2023, the EU project +CityxChange came to an end with a final conference in the Norwegian city of Trondheim. Since its launch, the two lighthouse cities Trondheim (Norway) and Limerick (Ireland), together with their so-called follower cities Alba Iulia (Romania), Pisek (Czech Republic), Võru (Estonia), …
Decarbonization – a winning card for industry

Decarbonization – a winning card for industry

Decarbonization of heat in industry is now getting a lot more attention in Brussels. The Member of Parliament Beatrice Covassi together with Solar Heat Europe organized an event at the EU Parliament on 11 October under the title “Enabling industrial decarbonization”. The 10 MW solar industrial heat plant at malt …
guaranteed solar heat yields

Guaranteed yields are standard for new solar district heating plants in Germany

Solar thermal energy is still unknown territory for many district heating companies. Contractually guaranteed solar heat yields from the turnkey provider of the collector field are therefore the rule and mitigate the risk for the investor. We spoke with Christoph Bühler, Division Manager at the German SDH plant designer Ritter …
New developments in geomembranes

New developments in geomembranes for pit heat storages

Large solar thermal systems need large heat storage capabilities. Especially if the solar heat is to contribute significantly more than 25 % to a district heating network. Pit thermal energy storage (PTES) is a cost-effective way to build large heat storage facilities with 100,000 m3 and more. A key component …
Green Heat subsidy scheme

Green Heat subsidy scheme in Flanders supports concentrating solar heat plants

Flanders, the northern region of Belgium, will see a series of concentrating solar process heat systems go into operation in the next year. The starting point is the 2.5 MW parabolic trough collector field at Avery Dennison, a leading global packaging and materials manufacturer in Turnhout, inaugurated at the beginning …
Solar air heating and drying

Solar air heating and drying – an attempt to assess the world market

Solar air heating for space heating and drying is one of the most economical uses of solar thermal. The 2,500 m2 unglazed solar air heating façade at Turkish Aerospace Industries in Ankara, for example, will pay for itself in only 2.4 years according to the project developer Solarwall Turkey. Solar …
Inflation Reduction Act

Quick facts on Solar Investment Tax Credits prior to and under the IRA

The federal Solar Investment Tax Credits are an important funding instrument for the solar PV and solar thermal market in the USA. In the current version, set out in tax code section 25d for private individuals and section 48 for commercial customers, the tax credits for solar thermal energy are …