ESTIF: Action Advice

What can I do as a member of District Council?

Provide a regulation for the building of south-orientated roofs in your local building regulation
Make solar thermal obligatory in your local building regulations (“Barcelona Model”)
Create a stable subsidy system at local level
Use your own buildings buildings to demonstrate solar thermal applications
Support local manufacturers: PR, incentives, help in personnel and property search, consulting in general
Support specialised solar thermal training for your local installers
Ask your local teachers for a stronger solar education in local schools
Build up solar initiatives for the local promotion of solar information

What can I do as a member of Federal State Government?

Give solar preferences in your building law
Enforce a claim for south-orientated roofs for private home builders
Create a stable subsidy system
Use your own buildings to demonstrate solar thermal applications
Support local manufactures: PR, Incentives, help in personnel and property search, consulting in general
Support solar education in universities and schools
Ask your MEP to look into where the EU monies for RTD and subsidies are spent.
Offer media opportunity in the MEP’s home constituency

What can I do as a member of National Government?

Create a regulation for solar thermal in your national implementation of the European Building Directive
Set up a renewable energy regulation for new buildings and major renovations to make sure that a certain percentage of renewable energy is used by the owners of buildings
Create a stable subsidy or tax credit system
Use your own buildings to demonstrate solar thermal applications
Support solar education in universities and schools

What can I do as a member of the European Commission/ Parliament ?

Work for an EC Directive to promote renewable heating and cooling
Request that a solar thermal “obligation” be included in the EC Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings
Check possibilities of a renewable heat directive
Spread awareness of solar thermal amongst Members of the European Parliament and officials at the European Commission
Request additional R&D funds for solar thermal
Work for the eligibility of solar thermal in EU structural funds

What can I do as a journalist?

Be open to any news on solar topics
Inform your readers about topics dealing with the climatic change, risk of today’s energy supply, …
Make up your own mind: visit manufacturers or owners of solar thermal energy systems, …

What can I do as a solar/heating company/wholesaler?

Feed the press with your company information on the topic of solar thermal energy
Inform local, federal and national politicians continuously about your solar news, to include:
- New plants
- New jobs in the solar industry
- New patents or newly developed products and machines
- New major installations of solar thermal energy in your region
Use the graphics and information contained in this package for your seminars and press and political work
Invite the press and politicians into your company
Write letters concerning your job and turnover potential to the politicians representing your town
Write letters to all political parties
Inform politicians of all potential job increases or losses in case important resolutions need to be passed on solar topics discussed in the parliament
Keep trying and don't be put off by setbacks; it will take years to build up a trustful relationship with the press and politicians
Don’t worry, many examples prove that this strategy works in the long run