Description
To promote the high potential of Solar Thermal as a key technology for sustainable development in the heating/cooling sector, the bulk of the European Solar Thermal industry has joined forces to create ESTIF - the European Solar Thermal Industry Federation.

The founding members of ESTIF are 13 national Solar Thermal associations from EU members states and Israel, as well as 28 manufacturers and service providers involved in the Solar Thermal business all over Europe.

Heating/cooling makes up one third of the EU's primary energy consumption and is a major source of urban pollution. Solar Thermal is a mature technology for renewable, non-polluting heating, viable in all parts of Europe. During the last decade, Solar Thermal has grown immensely in some European countries.

To reach the ambitious targets set by the EU White Book on renewables in 1997 (100 mio square meters solar collectors installed in the EU by 2010), however, this growth must be further developed and extended to all EU countries. ESTIF calls for strong EU policies to provide an appropriate framework to reach the targets.

Mr Ole Pilgaard, from the Danish Solar Industry Association and managing director of an international solar thermal business has been elected as first ESTIF President. ESTIF is a member of EREC (European Renewable Energy Council) and shares its premises in the Renewable Energy House with EREC and other renewable energy associations.

Actions:
Campaign to increase awareness for solar thermal and renewable heating at EU level

Within the timeframe of the Soltherm Europe Initiative, ESTIF (European Solar Thermal Industry Federation) has started a campaign to increase awareness for solar thermal among opinion leaders and particularly policy makers.

As an European association, ESTIF focuses firstly on the EU institutions and on the EU energy and environmental policy community. ESTIF identified a major cause for the lack of strong political support for solar thermal in many European countries: the almost exclusive focus of EU renewable policy measures and debates on the electircity and transport sectors.

Therefore, a first step in this campaign has been the Joint Declaration for Renewable Heating and Cooling, initiated by ESTIF and supported by a broad coalition of nine relevant European associations (industry, research, Parliamentarians, environmental NGOs).

The declaration was presented at the European conference on “Renewable Energies: Intelligent Policy Options” (Berlin, January 2004), that was the European preparatory conference for renewables2004. The conclusions of the Berlin conference mentioned the promotion of renewable heating as a top priority for the coming years.

A second milestone has been the “Bielefeld Declaration -a European initiative for legislation for Heating and Cooling from Renewable Energies”, launched by the senior Member of the European Parliament Mechtild Rothe, who committed herself to work for an Initiative Report in the European Parliament that should call for a European directive to promote renewable heating and cooling.

Finally, the campaign initiated by ESTIF has found official recognition in the Communication of the European Commission on the progress of renewable energies in the EU, published on 26/5/04. In its executive summary, it says: “The shortfall compared to the 12% target is caused by sluggish growth of renewable energy markets for heating and cooling, leading to the conclusion that considerable extra action is needed in this sector…”

At renewables2004, ESTIF has given a presentation in a side-event on possible policy instruments to promote renewable heating, including solar thermal. Throughout this process, ESTIF has always made clear that promotion campaigns, that are the main issue dealt with by the Soltherm Initiative, are a necessary and very important tool to promote solar thermal. However, they are not enough. The Joint declaration mentioned above asked also for binding targets at national and European level, more effective financial incentives and regulations such as the “Barcelona model” to be enactes in all countries of the Union, as well as for a stronger focus on renewable heating issues in the European and national research programs.

ESTIF has been successful in finally setting this issue on the political agenda. The next step is to define clear proposals for a EU action plan to promote solar thermal and renewable heating. ESTIF will be glad to share this discussion with the participants in the Soltherm Europe Initiative and any other interested partner.

Contact: ESTIF President Mr Ole Pilgaard Phone: +45-45 164030 Fax: +45-45 164575 E-Mail: opa.sun@velux.com

Contact: ESTIF Brussels Secretariat Renewable Energy House 26, Rue du Trone, B-1000 Bruxelles E-Mail: info@estif.org Phone: +32 2 546 1938 Fax: +32 2 546 1944