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:
The German solar thermal market only grew slightly in the energy crisis year 2022
The German industry associations BSW Solar and BDH have published the market statistics for the German solar thermal market in 2022. With 11 % growth, collector sales developed positively. The newly installed solar thermal capacity in 2022 amounted to 496 MW, up from 448 MW in the previous year (see …
What is in the Fit for 55 package for district heating?
With the Fit for 55 Package in July 2021 the European Commission started the revision of the EU´s core climate and energy directives. The revisions of two of them – the Renewable Energy Directive (RED III) and the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) – have already arrived in the trilogue meetings, …
European Council speeds up permission procedures but only for solar systems on buildings
Following an EU Commission proposal, the Council of the European Union adopted its Council Regulation (EU) 2022/2577 on 19 December 2022 as a “framework to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy”. It came into force with its publication in the EU´s Official Journal on 29 December 2022. It obliges the …
Big Solar in Kosovo replaces coal-based electric heating
The way is clear for the construction of one of the largest solar district heating plants in Europe. The financing package for the EUR 80 million project was signed on 20 December in Pristina, Kosovo. The European Commission, the KfW banking group and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development …
Welcome to a new year and another chance for solar heat to get big
Multi-megawatt solar process heat plants are on the increase. A new record-size system in France with 13 MW for a dairy is in the commissioning phase. Construction of a 28.5 MW field of parabolic trough collectors for a Heineken factory in Spain is progressing well. Belgium will see the largest …
Historically high growth in Europe’s solar heat market in 2021
Solar heat is on a growth path in Europe. The newly installed capacity grew by 8 % in 2021 to 1.45 GW in the EU27 plus Switzerland and Great Britain – a historically high percent growth. The countries with double-digit growth according to market statistics from Solar Heat Europe (SHE) …
Successful operator models for solar district heating in Germany
Around 50 large solar district heating systems are in operation in Germany, among them a growing number of energy community initiated projects. The three-year SolnetPlus project aims to popularise solar district heating especially among municipalities. On 24 November 2022, the project held a webinar on the topic of Successful operator …
Gas-free industrial heat with PVT collectors and heat pumps
While gas and electricity prices are exploding, the demand for alternative heating solutions is growing. Hybrid systems consisting of gas boilers and heat pumps are being promoted intensively in the Netherlands. However, PVT systems combined with heat pumps could be a new, efficient solution on the path towards gas-free industrial …
“Access to land is one of the key bottlenecks for rolling out renewables”
The REPowerEU plan from May 2022 includes a series of measures to overcome the EU’s dependence on Russian fossil fuels and accelerate the transition to renewable energies. In addition to a Solar Energy Strategy and a Solar Rooftop Initiative, it introduced the concept of go-to-areas as an instrument to avoid …
National Round Table discusses market development and policies in Italy
How could heating and cooling contribute to the decarbonisation of the energy sector in Italy? To answer this ambitious question, on 27 October the Renewable Heating & Cooling European Technology Platform, with specific support from Solar Heat Europe, organised a round table with almost 70 participants. The event focused on …
37 MW solar district heating plant in the Netherlands with outstanding features
At the beginning of November construction started of a 37 MW solar district heating plant in Groningen, Netherlands. The 48,000 m2 collector field will be connected to the district heating grid of Groningen, which is operated by the utility company Warmtestad. Three companies joined forces to develop this ambitious project: …
Call for a strong solar mandate across Europe
In a joint letter, 18 organisations from diverse sectors of the economy have called on EU Energy Ministers and the European Parliament to support an ambitious EU solar mandate. Among the signatories are the Brussels-based associations Solar Heat Europe and the European Copper Institute. The joint letter advocates a strong …
