Regarding the policy framework

The work done in 2019 to promote an adequate policy framework focused on both regulatory and financial aspects. The secretariat engaged in key discussion at EU level to promote the decarbonisation of the heating sector and show the competitiveness of solar thermal in several high-level events, as the Clean Energy Industrial Forum, and dossiers as the comprehensive assessment for the mapping of heating and cooling. Solar national associations were involved in the discussion on National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) which led to the development of an analysis used in strategic meetings and share of best practices. Solar Heat Europe has also been part of critical consultations – as for example a study on energy costs which will be published next year – and manage to influence the discussion and exclude fossil fuels financing in the first step of cohesion policy debate. All this was backed by two key support areas: policy activities and the RHC-ETIP work, including Solar Heat Europe’s involvement in the solar thermal panel (ESTTP) and the horizontal working group 100% renewable industries.

About improving SHE capacities

The work done in 2019 to improve Solar Heat Europe’s capacities was focused on a practical approach. After the 2018 membership campaign in 2019 we decided to prepare open events and meetings to engage potential new members. We organised the PVT task force, open to members and non-members, to address the market barrier and the issue of the segment, the Advisory council meetings with a specific focus on large scale systems involving most of the European key players  and the Solar Keymark workshop for certificate holders, addressing the potential issues for manufacturers. This work was backed by three support areas: European projects, events and the Solar Keymark.

European projects gave and give us additional resources for our work, in 2019 we worked on 5 open projects (HARP, Labelpack A+, Our Solartown, PP2041 and secRHCII) and on 4 new applications, 2 of them now under review. Regarding Events and meetings, we organised and co-organised a series of events covering the relevant subjects for the sector. Solar Keymark is one core part of our work and, during 2019, we launched the 10^th call, with 12 new projects, and the new database.

Strengthening sector’s reputation

Through our communication activities, we contributed to create a positive message and to strengthen the sector’s reputation in 2019 by:

• Publishing our Manifesto (together with Euractiv) that targeted Energy and Environment & Industry MEPs. This collaboration also brought this media to report on Heating and Cooling topics
• Influencing the 2019 EurObserv’ER Barometer on a better and more realistic approach on Solar Thermal
• The growth in the solar thermal market brings good news that are reflected in the 2018 Market Statistics (still fresh from the oven)

Other communication activities supported our priority of strengthening the sector’s reputation was the social media:

We got 300 new followers, we wrote a total of 169 tweets in which we had 3175 interactions with our tweets, that means that on average 1 tweet had 18 interactions from users. Our twitter account, @SolarHeat_EU, has been mentioned 253 in other user’s tweets, which can be translated as a greater exposure.

Another communication tool we improved is the Newsletter and the Members Briefing Service. The Newsletter is sent also to subscribers, so not only members, so that increases the reach out of our message. And the MBS has been modernised by renaming the sections and adding Energy News section that contains examples of business, SMEs or governments who are investing in clean energy or that added Solar Thermal in their energy system.

If your interested in further discussing this issue within Solar Heat Europe, please contact our Secretariat:  members@solarhateurope.eu