ESTIF engages for our IndustryESTIF engages in many different issues relevant to the solar thermal industry - from lobbying for favourable legislative framework conditions to work on standards & certification. The following political programme was agreed unanimously by the General Assembly of ESTIF. If you like, you may download this programme in PDF format.
Please don't forget: The work of ESTIF is made possible mainly through the support of its members. If you want to support our work, please join ESTIF today! The ESTIF political programme - IndexFor a European Directive for Renewable Heating and CoolingThe level of use of solar thermal in different European countries depends on the right mix of political support and market development by the industry. Therefore ESTIF is calling for strong support policies for solar thermal. In order to increase our influence, ESTIF has joined forces with the bioheat and geothermal industries, to promote a European Directive for Renewable Heating and Cooling.
ESTIF stands for: - An ambitious European growth target for solar thermal installed capacity by 2020, disaggregated in national binding targets according to the specific potential and current market development of each Member State
- To reach these targets, the national, regional and local authorities should be encouraged to implement one or several of the following instruments to promote solar thermal:
- Binding regulations making the use of solar thermal obligatory in new buildings and in buildings undergoing major renovation, retrofitting or in any other situation as appropriate
- Financial incentives to investment or fiscal reductions. These measures should be stable and long-term, in order to build up confidence with investors. To avoid dependency from public budgets, ESTIF recommends that financial incentive schemes financed by the users of non-renewable energy sources for heating and cooling are considered
- Solar thermal or renewable heating tradable certificate schemes, based on binding quotas of renewable energy
- Awareness raising campaigns supported by public authorities and focused to relevant target groups: end users (house owners, operators of high-potential applications such as hotels, swimming pools, collective buildings), architects, craftsmen (heating installers and roofers), building & construction industry
- Support specific training for solar thermal technologies, focused on key professional actors: architects, heating installers and roofers
Further information: Strengthening solar thermal R&D Solar thermal systems are today reliable and include advanced technologies. But just like 'old' technologies, such as cars, are continuously improved, there is still potential for an even better use of the energy provided by the sun. However, solar thermal has been often neglected by national and European R&D programmes. This must change, especially in order to consolidate Europe's leading position in our future oriented technology.
ESTIF stands for: - Stronger attention on solar thermal within national and European R&D programmes
- A broad European initiative for R&D on renewable cooling, including solar assisted cooling
- Focused R&D approach for promising areas like solar process heat, solar desalination, long term heat storage, building integration
Further information: Energy statistics to fully show solar thermal What is not measured does not count. Our sector has suffered for too long under this truth: as our statistics were traditionally expressed in m2, solar thermal was often neglected in energy statistics. Together with the International Energy Agency's Solar Heating and Cooling Programme, ESTIF agreed on a methodology to convert m2 into MWth ("megawatt-thermal") capacity. The results are surprising for many: behind hydropower and biomass, solar thermal is the leading renewable technology worldwide.
ESTIF stands for: - Energy statistics at national, European and international level that fully consider solar thermal, using MW as unit of measure
- Wider use by all institutions issuing statistics of the conversion factor between m2 and MWth as agreed by IEA-SHC, with ESTIF and other associations
Further information: Abolition of all technical and trade barriersVarying testing and certification requirements in different countries can hamper a free and efficient European market for solar thermal systems and components. ESTIF has developed - together with the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) and with support from the European Commission - the Solar Keymark, which certifies that a product complies with the relevant European standards. However, in many public support programmes, the Solar Keymark is still not recognised.
ESTIF stands for: - The abolition of barriers to international trade of solar thermal systems and components. Repetition of testing and certification must be avoided
- Every public support scheme in the European Union should accept as eligible any product complying with the existing EN standards 12975 or 12976 and certified by the Solar Keymark
Further information For a level playing field in the heating market The use of coal, gas, oil and nuclear for heating and cooling causes costs to the environment and society that are not reflected in their costs as perceived by the users. Renewable energy therefore face an unfair competition.
ESTIF stands for: - Full internalisation of the external costs linked to the use of oil, gas, coal and nuclear for heating and cooling purposes
Full recognition of solar thermal in the implementation of the EU Directive on the Energy Performance of BuildingsThe Energy Performance of Building Directive (EPBD) obliges all EU Member States to set up energy performance requirements for (new) buildings by January 2006. However the Directive does not specify how solar thermal or other renewable energy sources should be treated. Therefore ESTIF has issued several recommendations for a suitable implementation.
ESTIF stands for: - A methodology for the calculation of energy performance, which fully recognises the benefits of solar thermal
- Energy performance certificates, which explicitly show the contribution of renewables to the energy consumption of the building
- Dynamic energy performance requirements, which are tightened every 1-2 years
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