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:

Between three and eight million heat pumps in 2030

Between three and eight million heat pumps in 2030

The German heat pump industry expects high growth rates in the next years. The latest heat transition reports predict between three and eight million heat pumps in operation in German buildings by 2030 to fulfil the climate goals (see chart below). By the end of 2020, a total of 1.4 …
Spain: Solar district heating in den Startlöchern

Spain: Solar district heating on the starting blocks

The Spanish solar district heating market is still in its infancy. Among the 500 district heating networks in operation across the country totalling more than 1.6 GWth only seven use solar heat, according to the Association of District Heating and Cooling Companies (ADHAC). Project developers report that there are barriers …
Automated factory for polymer collectors in Norway

Automated factory for polymer collectors in Norway

Inaventa Solar has now started operating a fully automated production line for solar collectors with polymer absorbers in Jevnaker, Norway. It took about 18 months from placing the order to commissioning the new, unique production equipment, on which the start-up spent around EUR 4 million. The money was raised by …
Big plans for heat pumps but not for solar hybrid systems in the Netherlands

Big plans for heat pumps but not for solar hybrid systems in the Netherlands

The Dutch association Holland Solar is disappointed about the latest proposal from the Ministry for Economic  Affairs and Climate regarding the national subsidy scheme ISDE for renewable energy solutions. In a letter dated 28th October the ministry announced plans to increase investment grants from 20 to 30 % by 1st …
Germany supports solar thermal in energy systems with cogeneration

Germany supports solar thermal in energy systems with cogeneration

The use of solar district heating is rapidly gaining momentum in Germany. One reason is that the first projects which have received state support under the Innovative Combined Heat and Power Programme are close to completion. An example of a local energy supplier that has profited from this is municipal …
Future role of solar heat in IEA’s Net Zero Roadmap

Future role of solar heat in IEA’s Net Zero Roadmap

In May the International Energy Agency challenged policy makers with a 224-page report titled Net Zero by 2050: a Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector including 400 milestones that governments have to realise to achieve the 1.5 °C target. Whereas for solar heat in buildings fairly progressive targets are set …
Bulgaria torn between support for coal and decarbonisation aims

Bulgaria torn between support for coal and decarbonisation aims

In Bulgaria’s capital Sofia, 1,698 kilometres from Brussels as the crow flies, politicians remain wary of the EU’s Green Deal plans, reports our long-time Sofia correspondent Frank Stier. A sun-rich country bordering on the Black Sea, Bulgaria became a member of the EU in 2007. But while 18 % of …
Low-temperature heat networks key to positive energy districts

Low-temperature heat networks key to positive energy districts

In Europe, positive energy districts are still in their early stages. But initial pilot projects have shown that low-temperature district heating grids play a central role in the design of these smart districts. So far, however, there has been little policy support for PEDs, noted the experts who attended the …
"Renewable heat generation should be privileged in the Building Regulations §35"

“Renewable heat generation should be privileged in the Building Regulations §35”

There is a lack of land available in Germany for solar district heating systems due to the complexity of the land-use plan procedure. Some local mayors who are active for climate protection have already given up on the idea of solar heating in their communities because the search for suitable …
“We have an increasing number of new large projects in the pipeline”

“We have an increasing number of new large projects in the pipeline”

The Finnish turnkey solar heat system provider Savosolar held an extraordinary general shareholder meeting on 1 October to discuss rights issues of approximately EUR 5.4 to 6.4 million with three warrant programmes. The assembly authorised  Savosolar’s Board of Directors to decide on issuance of shares, options and other rights up …
“Energy taxes and emission trading systems complement each other”

“Energy taxes and emission trading systems complement each other”

Internalizing the costs of pollution into energy prices – this has been one of the key objectives of Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe for many years. In this context, two documents from the new Fit for 55 package are of major importance: the revision of the Energy Taxation Directive (ETD) and the …
10 MW solar plant heats air for malting plant in France

10 MW solar plant heats air for malting plant in France

A 10 MW flagship solar heat project was inaugurated on 20 September 2021 in Issoudun, Southern France, making it the largest solar industrial heat plant in France and the second largest in Europe. The 14,252 m2 solar collector fields now supply 10 % of the total heat requirement of the …