Dear Members of Solar Heat Europe,

Dear Partners, Colleagues and Stakeholders,

This is my first editorial as President of our Association, and I am humbled and honored, as well as challenged by the task ahead.

To start with, please allow me to say THANK YOU to my predecessor, Costas Travasaros, with whom we shared two and half years of intense and fruitful work.

We are at a very special moment in the history of the energy transition.

Large capitals, both public and private, are in motion for the development and construction of a new energy infrastructure based on renewables, both for electrical and thermal consumption, for the residential, tertiary, and industrial sectors.

This situation is also supported by a significant increase in gas and electricity prices and volatility.

In this context, solar thermal is a crucial candidate solution for solving the economic and environmental problems of energy supply, offering a simple, economical, clean, and reliable technology, thanks to decades of direct experience in the field.

For this potential to be implemented, a strong industrial representation is required. Solar Heat Europe will champion the solar thermal sector: a whole industrial complex, with strong manufacturing capacity, as well as a vibrant service sector, with a granular presence across the EU, including project developers, installers, O&M companies, and energy consultants.

Solar thermal has an optimal combination of fundamentals, which make it the fastest, most effective, and cheapest solution for reducing the primary consumption of natural gas, in buildings and industry.

Our European Association – Solar Heat Europe – aims to be the vehicle for the dissemination and promotion of the many benefits of Solar Thermal towards policymakers and influencers and the EU and national levels, but also towards final users and energy partners. This greater visibility will be key to gaining a more privileged status in the allocation of public resources and help shape a supportive regulatory framework for our industry, identified by the European Commission as a key one in the Net Zero Industry Act.

Together with our colleagues on SHE’s Board, we have already started a process to reinforce and redirect SHE capabilities along three main directions: assistance, awareness, and advocacy.

Assistance to our members, to navigate the challenges and opportunities of the energy transition.

Awareness towards our target sectors, who need to learn about the potential of our solutions.

Advocacy at EU and national levels, with our network, to find our due space in the market for new energy solutions, obtain attention in regulatory frameworks, and get funding to support solar thermal demonstrations and scale up.

SHE’s team is extremely competent and motivated, however, there’s only so much they can do without our members’ continued support and participation.

I would like to thank in advance the members of our network for their active engagement with our SHE colleagues towards our vision. I also want to thank in advance the related industry partners who – like us, want to give heat the visibility it deserves, so that the path towards renewable heat is successful and efficient, making the most of direct sources like solar thermal. Finally, I would like to thank policymakers, policy influencers, NGOs, Academia, and research institutes, for engaging with the solar thermal community, and for embracing the potential that our companies, our SMEs, our experts, and our start-ups have to offer for this successful energy transition. With 10 million homes already equipped, with Europe being at the forefront of solar thermal district heating systems globally, with fantastic industry projects using already solar thermal as a main energy source for their decarbonization journey, we have the passion, the proof, the expertise, the creativity and first and foremost, the ability to play our fair share for this energy transition. ,

With no need to dramatize, it is now or never that this needs to happen, and I am confident that, together with our current and future members, we will participate, will work jointly to grow and expand our solar thermal market further, grow our businesses, and become the go-to solutions for our clients, our users, our legislators.

Guglielmo Cioni,

President of Solar Heat Europe