To enter new markets, solar thermal collector manufacturers need to have their products tested and certified as meeting local standards. Thanks to GSCN, the Global Solar Certification Network, they can complete several certification processes with only one test cycle. According to GSCN Manager Jan Erik Nielsen a collector manufacturer can save a lot of time and money because its collector test report from one region will be accepted to receive a certificate in another region.

Solar process heat has gained popularity in the centre of India’s silk production in Sidlaghatta, a town in the southern state of Karnataka. A little over 1,500 units between 2 and 10 m² have been switched from wood or briquettes to solar for preheating the traditional stoves. The Department of Sericulture has been promoting the technology among silk producers by providing a 75 % subsidy for any reeling unit partly heated by solar energy.

The SOCOL network has become more involved than ever in shaping the future of the French solar thermal sector, having grown quickly from just 155 experts in 2013 to 2,500 today. Great efforts are being made to improve the image of solar thermal as a cost-effective, reliable technology for commercial applications. Despite the favourable environment, the French market has experienced a notable decline again in 2017 with as little as 50,000 m², a decrease of 15 % compared to the year prior.

The Namibia Solar Thermal Technology (STT) Roadmap outlines the country’s path to 1.5 million m² of collector area by 2030. The aim is to have an average 0.5 m² installed per inhabitant by then. During a workshop in Windhoek last June, stakeholders from policy and administration voiced their unequivocal support for the implementation of the STT Roadmap 2030, which was developed by a consortium of experts and funded by SOLTRAIN.

There is more than one way to read 2016’s market statistics published by Solar Heat Europe about 2 months ago. One could emphasise the great achievements made in reducing emissions and creating jobs in the SHC sector in Europe. One could likewise point to Denmark as a leader in solar district heating. A third possibility would be to concentrate on the continued decline in most key markets in Europe and the stark difference between renewable heating targets and their fulfilment in many countries.