Solar Keymark

May 10, 2021
China keeps top spot for industrial solar heat

Most suppliers of industrial solar heat systems had to delay the closing of contracts and the installation of projects in 2020 because of the global outbreak of Covid-19. The pandemic became one of the main reasons for the sharp drop in the number of new solar process heat (SHIP) systems,...
February 4, 2021
SRCC revises standards to enforce labelling and PVT testing

In early December 2020, three revised Solar Rating & Certification Corporation standards cleared an important hurdle, receiving the Solar Thermal Standard Consensus Committee’s stamp of approval. Following final submission to US ANSI, they were made available on the...
July 10, 2020
Export champions from Greece offer good value for money

The Greek solar thermal industry is an export champion: The total collector area sold to customers abroad tripled from 200,000 m² to 600,000 m² in only 10 years (see chart). Greek manufacturers took advantage of opportunities around the world while demand for their...
July 23, 2019
Production line for Solar Keymark-certified parabolic trough collectors

At the beginning of May, parabolic trough collector manufacturer Absolicon inaugurated a new, automated production line at its headquarters in Härnösand, Sweden. After the town’s mayor, Andreas Sjölander, had cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony, attendees watched as a glass cover was...
July 12, 2019
New Solar Keymark Network Rules Allow On-Site Testing

The Solar Keymark Network has expanded its range of options by including in situ testing. At a meeting in March 2019, a revised version of the Solar Keymark (SK) Scheme Rules was approved to allow collector efficiency tests in a real-life environment. It is now possible to create efficiency...
January 2, 2019
Quality and certification can push solar markets

That a wider use of quality standards in the solar thermal sector leads to increased internationalisation and cost saving for manufacturers was the conclusion of those listening to a webinar on Solar Standards and Certification on 12 December. Organised by the IEA SHC’s Solar...
August 7, 2018
Solar Keymark Network gets new chairman

The Solar Keymark Network meeting held in Spain this March saw a new chairman, Andreas Bohren (see photo), leading a reshaped organisation. From now on, the members of the network, also known as SKN, will have a physical meeting in spring and an online one in autumn. Votes can be held in...
June 22, 2018
Three labels in Europe – what are the differences?

Labels and trademarks should give the end-consumer a clear feedback on the quality and performance of the labelled product. Currently there are three labels available for solar products or solar assisted heating systems in Europe, so there is an increasing need to explain the differences to...
March 21, 2018
New export-orientated collector and tank factory in Turkey

Collector and tank producer Bural Solar, founded in 2015, showed its product range at this year’s Mostra Convegno, an international trade fair in Milan, Italy, Mid March. The founder of the company, Hakan Alas, has been working in the solar thermal industry for 20 years. The export-focused...
April 3, 2017
Europe: Comparing Solar Keymark Data on Collectors with Foil or Double Glass Cover to Ones Without

Denmark’s success story in solar district heating, with 2016 having been another record year which almost doubled newly installed collector area to around 500,000 m², showcases the large potential of this type of application across Europe. Cost cuts in the supply chain are key: Two vital...
December 16, 2016
Europe: Solar Keymark Network Approves New Complaint Procedures

The Solar Keymark Network (SKN) discussed and approved new complaint procedures during its most recent meeting on the Greek island of Crete in mid-October 2016. Action had to be taken, as the...
November 20, 2015
Austria: One World Solar Collector Receives Solar Keymark

The One World Solar Collector developed by Austrian company Sunlumo finally received a Solar Keymark certificate in October 2015 (see the attached PDF). This is a milestone in the long design and development process, which started in 2009. “We designed a completely new collector...