This August, Solar Heat Europe attended EuroSun 2024, the International Conference on Sustainable and Solar Energy for Buildings and Industry jointly organized by the International Solar Energy Society (ISES) and the International Energy Agency’s Solar Heating and Cooling Programme (IEA SHC). This year’s edition of EuroSun took place in Limassol, Cyprus, and attracted around 200 visitors working on research projects related to solar heat from more than 40 countries.
Cyprus, the host of this event, holds the world record use of solar heat per capita with an estimated 93.5% of households using solar heat for their domestic hot water and space heating needs. The first standards for solar thermal were set back in the 1980s and nowadays, thanks to this technology, the eastern Mediterranean island is exceeding EU renewable energy targets for heating and cooling while reducing energy costs for its citizens and creating local jobs. Solar Heat Europe exchanged on this with Energy and Commerce Minister George Papanastasiou, highlighting the contribution of the European solar thermal sector to the Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA) given the vast number of local companies in Cyprus and inviting him to serve as a great role model for the rest of Europe for the uptake of solar heat.
Aside from the research conference and poster sessions, Solar Heat Europe organised an industry session, supported by IEA SHC, Solar Hub, CRES and Sammler. It featured concrete testimonials from industry experts and focused on the various market applications for solar heat. These span from residential and tertiary buildings to large-scale applications such as Solar District Heating and Solar Heat for Industrial Processes (SHIP). Among the testimonials was Sammler’s Managing Director Harry Michalopoulos, who spoke about how his second-generation Greek family company exports 90% of their production worldwide, showing the great potential of the European solar thermal sector. All slides shared during the session are can be accessed here.
Last but not least, Solar Heat Europe was proud to witness their member Newheat receive the prestigious SHC Solar Award for the best Solar Heat for Industrial Processes (SHIP) installation for their LACTOSOL project in Verdun, France. The LACTOSOL project, which supplies heat to a site of the Lactalis Ingredients Group—one of the world’s largest dairy companies—is the largest solar heat project of its kind in France. The project significantly reduces the CO2 emissions of the site’s drying tower by 2,000 tons annually, equivalent to 7% of the site’s total emissions. It delivers approximately 8,000 MWh of heat each year through a 15,000 m² solar thermal collector area, provided by Solar Heat Europe’s member Meriaura Energy, and a 3,000 m³ storage tank.
Read more about the LACTOSOL project on Newheat’s website: click here
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:
| Valérie Séjourné Managing Director valerie.sejourne@solarheateurope.eu Tel: +32 471 34 19 24 | Anna Ledro Communications and Events Officer anna.ledro@solarheateurope.eu Tel: +32 2 318 40 59 |