The Solar Heat sector: proud to be European and help moving away from fossil fuels
Brussels, 9 May 2025: Today is Europe’s day: Europe is at the heart of our values to protect democracy, social inclusion and steer common action towards sustainable progress. Values that the European spirit invites us to cherish and defend, together. Values to which we need to stay loyal to, even more in these challenging times.
With the #ChooseEurope campaign launched today on Europe’s day, Executive Vice President Stéphane Séjourné calls to massively promote the concept of “Made in Europe”, a crucial step to ensure Europe’s future competitiveness. In his public letter, published across Europe, he is inviting all business and customers to favour EU-based suppliers and therefore promote EU jobs, qualities and values. The role of energy in this is crucial. Energy is key to provide decent and comfortable lives to European citizens. Energy is also key for industries, to be able to operate and produce goods and services at affordable prices.
The roadmap shared earlier this week by the Commission to end Russian fossil fuels imports is another clear political signal given by European leaders: not only to secure our strategic autonomy and energy independence but also to stop subsidising the Russian aggression. We cannot be blind about this. We know that one of the main uses of Russian fossil fuels is for heating. It’s therefore key for Europe to shift towards renewable, clean, EU-made and competitive heat solutions.
This letter and this roadmap fully resonate with us.
As an EU clean tech sector, the Solar Heat sector is:
- A technology which is proud to be EU-based technology, with hundreds of companies from the North to the South of Europe creating wealth and jobs, exporting worldwide.
- Now investing into new production lines, ready to meet a growing demand.
- A renewable energy source, proud to provide affordable and clean heat to millions of citizens, professional customers and industrial users.
- A ready to deploy technology which works off grid, and is decentralised.
Hundreds of companies are ready to meet a growing European demand, so we urge the Commission and Member States to accelerate and support the demand for decarbonisation of energy sources, as part of the phasing out of Russian fossil fuels. Whilst electrification is needed, promoting all clean energy sources and their synergies is key. The recent unfortunate power cuts observed in Spain and Portugal demonstrate that it is important to be able to rely on different energy sources, making the most of their complementary roles and invest in the right infrastructures. Giving clear political signals that all renewable energy sources have their role to play is of crucial importance promoting sustainability, circularity and EU made technologies. It is only thanks to such a diversification, complementarity and efficiencies between clean energy sources that we will reach energy security and the net zero ambition targets for Europe in 2050.
Let’s #Choose Europe! Let’s #Choose Solar Heat!
Valérie Séjourné
Managing Director of Solar Heat Europe
Sources:
Communication: Roadmap towards ending Russian energy imports – European Commission
Bulgaria: https://lnkd.in/eENhRVau
Germany: https://lnkd.in/ecjjpfNW
Sweden: https://lnkd.in/ePPsimZg
France: https://lnkd.in/ewqhtpgg
Poland: https://lnkd.in/e7S7u4EY
Finland: https://lnkd.in/eyZcSR3v
Portugal: https://lnkd.in/evgkvU2m
Austria: https://lnkd.in/ezuN2eBR
Greece: https://lnkd.in/edXPzUG6