CTO Assessment - European Commission

SOLTHERM – EUROPE
Initiative
Contact: Mr Bart van der Ree • Ecofys • P.O. Box 8408 • Utrecht • Netherlands
Tel: +31 30 2808327 • Fax: +31 30 2808301
E-mail: B.vanderRee@ecofys.nl • website : www.soltherm.org
The EU has set a target of 100 million m 2
of solar collectors to be installed in Europe
by 2010. Currently there are approx
11 million m 2 installed with an annual
growth rate of 1 million m 2 . The concrete
goal is that in 2004 15 million m 2 of solar
collectors are installed across Europe,
which is equivalent to solar thermal water
heating systems for about 3 million households.
The Initiative involves collaboration
between more than 40 organisations,
the majority from EU Member states but
some also from Accession countries. It is
internationally co-ordinated by Ecofys, an
international renewable energy consultancy
and research company but involves people
at four different levels: Stakeholders at EU
level, organising partners, co-ordinating
projects in a specific country, industry partners
and installers and facilitating partners
i.e. NGO´s and energy agencies
Main aims and motivations
The Soltherm initiative was set up at the
beginning of 2002 to catalyse a strong
increase in market volume and to help unify
the market for solar thermal products, to
support the Campaign for Take-Off’s goals
in the field of solar thermal energy and to
significantly contribute to meeting the
EU´s Kyoto targets for CO 2
emission reduction.
Also of concern was the creation
of employment, raising public awareness
Key facts of the project
The Soltherm Europe Initiative aims to establish:
Domestic hot water production
District heating
Large collective solar systems
Space heating
Air conditioning and Industrial process heating
and to increase co-operation and experience
exchange between market actors.
Project details
National campaigns have been started to
boost sales and publicity of the solar thermal
industry. A central website has been
set up which monitors and showcases all
activities across Europe. Installers are involved
in the campaigns as they play an
important role in promoting the product.
A market analysis has been carried out to
give inside information and analysis of the
EU market structures. A Tools Database
has been constructed to provide a library
of resources to potential campaign organizers.
A quality standards inventory has
been set up to give an overview of relevant
quality structures. Conference presentations
and workshops are taking place to
inform professionals on the Soltherm campaign
and its issues. All the above have
been successfully implemented and have
reached the target groups of companies,
municipalities, potential and current campaign
organizers and consultants.
Main Innovative Aspect
The initiative has made use of private-public
pooling, solar contracting, Guaranteed
Solar Results (GSR), and Third Party Financing.
In order to contribute significantly to the CTO goal of 15 million m 2 Solar Thermal
collectors by 2010. The project is on-going and reliable figures on achievements
will become available in 2004.
Overall evaluation
The Initiative has undertaken and achieved
all the projects it set out to although as the
project is viewed to end at the end of 2004
it is too soon to attribute any concrete figures
to the increase in the amount of solar
thermal collectors in Europe. Partial goals
have been fulfilled, especially the fulfilment
of local targets and increasing the
prioritization of Solar Thermal and the
increase in cooperation and exchange of
results and the unification of solar markets.
The main target groups of the project
are professionals (potential campaign organizers,
authorities, and market actors).
These parties have positively received the
Soltherm Europe Initiative as an important
platform for further market development.
The campaigns executed in Soltherm
are influencing the public opinion in their
respective countries and regions.
Enabling factors
The initiative received public awareness
support form the Climate Alliance and several
other parties. ESTIF also aided
Soltherm. The EU Commission ALTENER
Programme and several national and regional
organizations gave financial aid.
Replication Potential
The Soltherm Initiative was not a replica
in itself but it has replication potential in
that it has successfully brought together
the key market actors (the parties that have
made a difference in their countries or regions
in actual market development) and
has successfully led to exchange of experience.
This exchange has led to visible common
elements in new campaigns and initiatives.
There are similar initiatives in the
planning stages, and Ecofys and the other
Soltherm partners would be prepared to
participate in such new initiatives.
68 CTO - Showcase