CTO Assessment - European Commission

Solar Thermal
The solar thermal market in the EU
has more than doubled compared to
the mid 1990s and is three times
bigger than in the late 1980s. Between
1990 and 2001, the average yearly
market growth has been 13.6%.
Apart from other renewables, no other
energy sector has grown faster than
solar thermal in the last decade. Since
2000, the market has clearly passed
the mark of 1 million m2 newly
installed collectors per year. After a
significant contraction in 2002,
mainly originated in Germany, a new
peak over 1.5 million m 2 is expected
for 2003.
Figure 3 shows the main trends in
the market for glazed collectors (flat
plate and evacuated tube). In the late
1980s, the market suffered in most
countries, mainly due to low fossil fuel
prices but also because of quality
problems in solar thermal systems.
From the early 1990s, the market
started to recover, thanks to higher
quality products and installations as
well as to significant financial incentives
to investment in some countries.
Table 2 shows the installed capacity
country by country, in 2001 - the last
year for which final data are available.
Taking into account the last estimates,
the surface in operation at
the end of 2003 was roughly 11.9 million
m 2 , corresponding to an average
of 32 m 2 per 1,000 inhabitants. During
the decade from 1990 to 2000,
the cumulated surface in operation
tripled, growing every year by 11.6%.
An estimated 1.7 million m 2 of
unglazed collectors in operation at the
end of 2003 must be added. The total
surface in operation is therefore 13,6
million m 2 . The analysis country by
country refers to glazed collectors
only, because in most countries reliable
data on unglazed collectors are
not available. Also, their energy output
is more difficult to be estimated.
Unglazed collectors for swimming
pools are a separate technology and
represent a minor market in Europe.
m 2
1.400.000
1.200.000
1.000.000
800.000
600.000
400.000
200.000
0
1982
Glazed collectors
Unglazed collectors
Source: ESTIF, 2003 “Sun in Action”
Table 2
Installed solar thermal capacity in the EU14 - Glazed collectors only
2001
Belgium
Denmark
Germany
Greece
Spain
France
Ireland
Italy
Netherlands
Austria
Portugal
Finland
Sweden
UK
EU14
Source: ESTIF, 2003 “Sun in Action II”
Figure 3
Development of Solar Thermal market volume in the UE
1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002
Newly
installed
Glazed collectors (preliminary)
Unglazed collectors (preliminary)
In
operation
In operation
per head
Energy
output
m 2 m 2 m 2 /1,000 MWh
4,481 26,534
3
11,156
26,150
900,000
175,000
46,357
38,500
270
49,327
30,537
160,080
6,000
1,110
21,970
15,230
1,475,012
271,120
3,634,000
2,790,200
224,666
230,750
3,325
335,212
203,877
1,651,814
210,963
7,220
158,226
119,420
9,867,327
51
44
264
6
4
1
6
13
203
21
1
18
2
26
108,476
1,480,650
1,082,598
135,800
138,450
1,496
236,262
85,628
583,743
126,578
2,170
47,638
52,309
4,092,954
Market Development
17