Brussels, 12 April 2024 – The Council gave the final green light to the recast of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), which aims at decarbonising the building stock to meet the EU climate targets for 2030. The solar heating and cooling industry welcomes this pivotal step in the EPBD recast, notably its Solar Mandate, which aims to promote the use of all solar technologies on rooftops, supporting therefore the deployment of solar thermal and the hybrid PVT technology to provide decentralised, renewable energy for households and citizens.

Proposed in December 2021 as part of the Fit for 55 package, the EPBD recast is critical to the decarbonisation of the building stock, which accounts for 40% of EU energy demand and 36% of its greenhouse gas emissions. The compromised text agreed by the co-legislators in December 2023 was confirmed by the European Parliament on 12^th March; today’s adoption by the Council was the last political step before the publication in the EU Official Journal and the entry into force.

From the date of entry into force, Member States will have 24 months to transpose all the new provisions into their national legislations, with some relevant exceptions such as the end of subsidies for stand-alone fossil fuel boilers from 1 January 2025. A timely and correct transposition is key to meet the EU’s climate and energy targets for 2030, delivering a just and green transition in the building sector.

A key provision for the solar heating and cooling sector is article 10, which introduces a European solar mandate to make the most of the solar energy generation potential of European buildings. Importantly, the EPBD requires that Member States must ensure a level playing field among solar technologies, in line with the principle of technological neutrality between technologies not producing any on-site emission. Also, they must put in place the necessary administrative, technical, and financial measures to support solar deployment in buildings, including in combination with technical building systems or efficient district heating.

“Our sector stands ready to collaborate with governments, regions and cities for a swift and effective implementation of the solar mandate. This initiative is crucial to provide citizens’ biggest energy need – heat, which accounts for 80% of their needs – with an affordable, local, renewable, CO₂ free supply that has proven effective for over 30 years: solar heat.” stated Guglielmo Cioni, President of Solar Heat Europe.

Member States will have to ensure the deployment of any solar energy technology (solar thermal, PV or the combination of both, PVT) on new and existing public and non-residential buildings, as well as new residential buildings and roofed carparks by different deadlines starting from December 2026 till December 2030.

The solar mandate is complemented by the simplified and faster permitting rules on solar energy equipment introduced by the revised Renewable Energy Directive, which was adopted in 2023.

With a yield 3 times more effective than PV for the same surface area, and with the hybrid technologies such as PVT which combines electricity and heat generation, the potential for solar heat is big. This technology which comes with affordable and cost-effective thermal energy storage can also easily work in combination with other heat supplies, making it this very flexible and optimal.

This week’s adoption of EPBD coincide also with the release of the Manifesto by Solar Heat Europe for the upcoming legislators, released earlier this week.

About Solar Heat Europe/ESTIF:

Solar Heat Europe/ESTIF’s mission is to promote solar heat as a key technology for the decarbonisation of heating and cooling in Europe and to realise the high potential of solar heat in the energy transition. With members in more than 15 European countries, Solar Heat Europe members cover different parts of the value chain, being based in countries as diverse as Finland or Cyprus.

Contact: