On 23rd and 24th of October the Solar Keymark Network will meet for its 25^th meeting. Despite its long history, some people still think that the underlying rules and standards are made somewhere in a hidden backyard of Brussels…

…which is not true. It is the Solar Keymark Network where the experts from the solar thermal industry, the testing laboratories and the certification bodies join to do the best for the solar thermal industry. We make the rules and the standards and we shape the future of the solar thermal certification in Europe. The aim is to support and certify good products for a sustainable market. To make this even more possible, we need more participation from industry.

The Keymark rules allow for up to two industrial representatives from every country, with a preference for candidates nominated by a national association. If you are involved in the solar thermal industry, you should know who your country’s representative in the Solar Keymark Network is.

If not, take it in your own hands and get involved in the Solar Keymark Network! You would be able to propose improvements and you can take decisions that will be taken into account by the Solar Keymark Network. Do you think it will be expensive? There is no costs for an industry to participate! Need for too much time? Yes, being active and working on rules requires some of your valuable time, but for sure, it is a good investment.

To save money and CO2, the next meeting is held as a web meeting, no travelling and no costs at all. For industrial representatives the Solar Keymark Network meetings can always be attended online. What are you waiting for? To become a member of the Solar Keymark Network get in touch with me, Andreas Bohren, SKN Chairman, (andreas.bohren@spf.ch) or with the SKN Manager (jen@solarkey.dk).

And what is on the agenda of the next meeting? Information about the new standards for collectors and systems, the new solar Keymark Datasheet for collectors, the new solar Keymark database to address the ErP requirements, the next call of the Solar Keymark Certification funded projects, the budget of the network, possibilities to participate in working groups to improve PVT standards or to elaborate rules for integrated collector storages ICS, and much more. There are many good reasons to join the network.

Last but not least, the next Solar Keymark Network meeting is going to end with a tear in one eye and a smile in the other: Jan Erik Nielsen who was the Solar Keymark Network Manager since the beginning of the Solar Keymark, will leave the Network to spend more time for other challenges such as riding his historical bikes (velocette.dk). Thank you Jan Erik for all! And we are very happy to welcome Ms. Vassiliki Drosou from the Greek Center for Renewable Energy Sources CRES as the new Solar Keymark manager. All the best for the new challenge.

Andreas Bohren
Chairman of the Solar Keymark Network