Member States shall ensure that all new buildings are designed to optimise their solar energy generation potential on the basis of the solar irradiance of the site, enabling the subsequent cost-effective installation of solar technologies.
Article 10 of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (adopted in 2024) is a key opportunity for the solar energy sector, as well as for the energy transition of buildings. Indeed, space heating represents 65% of households’ energy needs and water heating 15% of their needs. With this in mind, solar heat is an obvious choice for making the energy transition in many buildings by meeting their energy needs.
This is why article 10 of the EPBD must be implemented fairly by Member States, putting all solar technologies on an equal footing. Solar thermal, PVT and photovoltaic all have roles to play in the energy transition.
In that context, Solar Heat Europe and its experts have created this guidance. It advocates for a transposition that takes account of the specific features of the different solar technologies. They must be treated equally, depending on what they contribute to buildings and consumers.
Solar thermal energy requires three times less space to produce the same amount of energy as photovoltaics. It is therefore imperative that national implementations take this difference into account.
Solar Heat Europe also points out that national implementations must take into account the energy needs of buildings. Heat is half of our energy needs and 80% of households’ energy needs. Some types of building have very low electricity requirements, but very high heating needs (e.g. hospitals, elderly houses, residential buildings, sports centers, etc.).
Finally, the solar thermal energy sector is committed to the reindustrialisation of the continent, since 90% of European demand is met by European products. Solar thermal energy has a strong manufacturing base in Europe, which we need to consolidate by implementing this article.
You can find Solar Heat Europe’s webinar on this guidance through this link: https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/YttRHEnMEgEnO8SwCohUaFVHMvkGhN3CB5Tif1ICb1HXYaJCnD2H_SBb-DsoqfPO.BWdvq8FY03CCx8hq?startTime=1748347358000
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