European solar thermal market grows by 12%

BRUSSELS, Belgium, June 15, 2005 (Refocus Weekly)

The European market for solar thermal grew by 12% last year, installing 1.6 million m2 of glazed collectors.

In 2003, 1.4 million m2 of solar collectors were installed in the 25 members of the European Union (and Switzerland), and the growth rate for 2005 is predicted to be 12% again, according to the European Solar Thermal Industry Federation.

In terms of thermal capacity, the 2004 installations were 1,110 MW-th compared with 991 MW-th in 2003. This is the first time that ESTIF has released statistics for all EU-25 countries, both in the traditional measure of square metre of collector area and in terms of capacity.

Historically, solar thermal installations had been 200 MW-th until 1990, when the market grew to more than 1,000 MW-th in 2001 before dropping the following year.

In market volume, Germany remains the leader with 47% of the continent’s market, followed by Greece with 14%, Austria 12%, Spain 6%, Italy 4% and France with 3%. On a per capita basis, Cyprus leads the EU-25 with 431 kW-th per thousand inhabitants, followed by Austria and Greece, both at 179. There is a large decline to Germany and Denmark at 40, and the EU average is 21 kW-th because many countries have only started to develop their market for solar thermal, explains ESTIF.

Although Europe leads in solar thermal technology, it represents only 9% of the global market, says ESTIF. China holds 78% of the global market.

ESTIF will publish detailed statistics at the European Solar Thermal Energy conference in Freiburg, Germany, later this month. The association’s mission is “to achieve high priority and acceptance for solar thermal as a key element for sustainable heating and cooling in Europe and with immediate effect to work for the implementation of all steps necessary to realise the high potential of solar thermal.”

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