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:
Poland shifts away from coal-fired district heating
Poland has about 400 district heating grids and most of them are still hard-coal fired (80 %). According to EuroHeat & Power’s country profile, 16.5 million of the country’s residents are connected to these grids. To improve air quality, which includes replacing coal with other energy sources, Poland has recently …
Financial and environmental benefits of solar heat pumps
As a source of energy for brine heat pumps, a PV-thermal collector field is well suited to reducing power demand in existing and to-be-renovated single-family homes, researchers at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences, also known as ZHAW, have found. They compared combinations of PVT units and heat pumps with …
IRENA identifies solar heat potential in central and south eastern Europe
The 18 countries participating in the Central and South Eastern Europe Energy Connectivity Initiative (CESEC) could use renewables to meet 34 % of their energy demand by 2030, with solar thermal installed in buildings being the cheapest replacement option for fossil fuel equipment. These and other key findings can be …
EU to have 35 million building units renovated by 2030
This October saw the unfolding of two landmark events that will have a major impact on renewable energy markets for decades to come. On 14 October, the Renovation Wave communication was published, its aim being to “at least double the annual energy renovation rate of residential and non-residential buildings by …
Three SDH plants under development in Croatia
District heating operators in Croatia have shown great interest in solar energy. Under the auspices of an EU-funded two-and-a-half-year project called KeepWarm, three feasibility studies on solar district heating (DH) ventures are currently underway in the country, whereas endeavours in the other KeepWarm partner countries – the Czech Republic, Latvia, …
Solar-heated multi-family buildings gain popularity in Germany
Many new largely solar-heated houses in Germany are multi-family buildings, and their number is growing, according to Sonnenhaus-Institut (Solar House Institute), an alliance of about 300 architects, planners, building companies and system integrators that specialise in the design or construction of houses where sunlight provides at least 50 % of …
Solar houses: above 95 % solar fraction is possible
Between 2014 and 2019, the Austrian Climate and Energy Fund supported the construction of over 100 solar-heated houses, 19 of which were monitored following completion. Regardless of whether it was a lightweight or a brick house that was put up, the rooftop or facade collector system installed during construction has …
Benefits of 4G and 5G heat networks
Fourth-generation heat networks, which operate at about 60 °C, reduce heat losses, extend pipe life and create the best conditions for clean energy use. The photo shows one of these grids, which has been running in a neighbourhood in Villach, southern Austria, since the beginning of 2018. In its first …
Guidelines on how to assess renewable district heat potential
As district heat will be one of the key pillars of a decarbonised heat sector, authorities, utilities and energy service providers are eager to explore the opportunities that local sources of clean energy could provide for the DH market. To this end, a consortium led by consultancy Ambiente Italia developed …
“Project sponsors need to offer banks sufficient securities and guarantees”
French-based NewHeat has just announced that it secured a EUR 13 million bank loan for a pool of five large commercial solar heat systems. The company, founded in December 2015, regards itself as an “independent and integrated solar heat producer.” As an energy service company (ESCO), it offers solar heat …
NewHeat secures EUR 13 million loan to finance 5 solar heat plants
French project developer NewHeat has successfully closed a EUR 13 million finance deal with Triodos Bank, Germany, and Crédit Coopératif, France, to cover the costs of putting up five solar heat plants with a total capacity of 28 MWth. The project pool comprises the industrial solar heat plant started up …
Join 190+ pledge supporters by Friday
Since mid-July, more than 190 organisations across Europe have shown their support for Solar Heat Europe’s #SolariseHeat initiative by signing the European Solar Thermal Industry Pledge, promising to deliver a green recovery. The association has now launched a second call for signatures, offering both public and private entities to put …
