Brussels 27 June 2006. Sparked by the high prices for oil and gas, consumers more and more often chose solar thermal for domestic hot water and space heating. In 2005, almost 1.400 MWth of solar thermal capacity (2 million m2 of collector area) was newly installed in Europe – 26% more than in the previous year. New installations more than doubled in France where 85 MWth were added in 2006.

10:13 22-6-2006

Brussel, 15 June 2006. This morning, the European Parliament adopted by a majority of 317 to 214 an amendment asking that in the forthcoming 7th European Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7) approximately two thirds of the budget in the area of "non-nuclear energy" (2.385 millions EUR) is reserved for renewable energies, energy efficiency and savings. This is circa 450 millions more than proposed by the European Commission.

EREC (European Renewable Energy Council) and the German Federam Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safty announce the the 2007 European Renewable Energy Policy Conference. The conference will take place 29-31 January 2007 in Brussels.

A recent study of the Bremer Energie Institut looks at the environmental effects of the whole value chains of different energy sources. Renewable energies – environmental benefits, economic growth and job creation. Case Study Paper was commissioned by IMV - Environemental Assessement Institute, Denmark, and confirms the positive benefits of utilising renewable energy sources. Analysing ten different energy technologies, it concludes that solar thermal has by far the least...

EU Commissioner Piebalgs to speak at the official launch event in Brussels. ESTIF and EUREC Agency invite the whole solar thermal sector to participate in the Platform and its launch event.

Brussels, 26 April 2006. After its official commitment to promote renewable energies in the heating sector, the EU is now setting a good example. At its parliamentary headquarters in Brussels, a solar system for hot water is being installed. The system comes from Austrian manufacturer TiSUN® - Made in Tirol by Teufel & Schwarz.

In their latest solar thermal statistics the International Energy Agency's Solar Heating and Cooling Programme (IEA-SHC) sees world wide solar thermal capacity at 74,3 GWth (2004). The total energy production from solar thermal is 58.117 GWh per year.

The European certification scheme Solar Keymark is attracting more and more interest from industry and governments. It helps reduce testing and certification costs as governments accept Solar Keymark'ed products in their support programmes.

Brussels, 21 March 2006: Spain has become one of the countries with the most advanced solar legislation in the world. Last Friday, 17th March, the Spanish government approved the new Technical Buildings Code (CTE, Codigo Tecnico de la Edificacion), the most significant reform of the Spanish building sector for decades.

Now available online

Brussels, 19 December 2008. A Strategic Research Agenda of the solar thermal sector was presented in Brussels today. The document, developed by more than 100 experts organized in the European Solar Thermal Technology Platform (ESTTP) describes the research efforts and infrastructure needed to reach the goal of supplying 50% of the energy needed for heating in cooling with solar thermal energy. A deployment roadmap shows the non-technological framework conditions that enable the reaching of this...

Brussels 9 December 2008. An Agreement was reached this morning between the European Parliament and the 27 EU Member States on a new directive to boost EU renewable energy use to 20% by 2020. For the first time, heating and cooling – responsible for 50% of Europe’s energy demand – will be covered by a European Directive promoting renewable energies. Thus the Directive creates a positive climate for the long-term development of solar thermal technologies in Europe.

Brussels, 4 December 2008. The European Solar Thermal Industry Federation (ESTIF) members elected a new Board of Directors on 2 December at their General Assembly in Athens where they discussed the sector development.

Brussels, 15 September 2008. In 2009, the largest global conference dedicated to solar thermal energy takes place in Munich, Germany. The estec conference hosted by ESTIF, the European Solar Thermal Industry Federation, has developed into the most important platform within the rapidly changing sector. In the dynamic environment of a fast developing European market, estec2009 provides relevant information on markets and trends, technology and policies in the field of hot water preparation,...