Dear Solar Heat Europe/ESTIF member,

We have entered the last quarter of the year, where we can start assessing our achievements for this year while planning for the next. As a sector, it is also essential that we go through that process with regards to solar thermal in Europe and the best occasion to do so is the next Solar Heat Europe/ESTIF General Assembly, on the 29th November 2019.

In fact, we are not only talking about the General Assembly but rather a series of relevant events on Thursday and Friday, 28 and 29 November 2019.

These events will kick-off at the end of the morning on Thursday, with the meetings of three task forces, on Solar Heat for Industrial Processes, Solar District Heating and PVT. These task forces comprise experts from our sector, addressing the main priorities in order to promote the market uptake of these market segments, which have shown a tremendous potential, though facing specific challenges and market barriers that need addressing.

We shall also cover standards & certification issues. In this regard we have important points to cover, namely in relation to energy labelling (and an important proposal for reviewing the contribution of solar thermal), future priorities for TC312 and the Solar KEYMARK, as well as global aspects.

We will then have the chance to address the challenges related to “Digitalisation” in a workshop where we intend to debate opportunities and challenges that it represents for the business models of solar thermal companies. While counting on relevant speakers, we want this workshop to be a good space for a discussion among the main stakeholders of our sector, the Solar Heat Europe/ESTIF members.

I could not end the reference to this day without stressing the Official Solar Heat Dinner, in the evening of the 28th. Not only for the great food we have been provided but mainly because I find this an excellent opportunity for us to meet informally, catch up with old acquaintances and meet new people from our sector.

Then on Friday we get into the important issues covered in our General Assembly. While we have some formalities to comply with, we hope that the structure of the GA will allow for the reflection on 2019 and the insight into 2020, while discussing how to focus on the issues that are essential for our sector to be tackled within our common house, our European trade association. We will have also the opportunity to talk about new European funding instruments and what they can mean for solar thermal.

Furthermore, we will have our session on the solar heating and cooling market in Europe, where we have the opportunity, as usual, to revise the evolution of the main solar thermal markets during 2019 and discuss about the prospects for 2020.

This year we will also have, during the General Assembly, the opportunity to learn about three relevant examples of solar thermal systems. In this regard, we invite you also to propose solar thermal projects that you find particularly outstanding. You can find more information on these presentations and who to participate with our own example here.

I believe there are plenty of motives to come and meet your fellow solar thermal players in Brussels at the end of November.

See you soon!