Brussels, 22 April 2026: Solar Heat Europe welcomes today’s publication by the European Commission, AccelerateEU, a fundamental framework to urgently tackle the current energy crisis. The price spikes that Europe is experiencing are further proofs that the fragility of European Union’s dependence on fossil fuel imports must be addressed now and for the long-term, whilst keeping the pace towards climate neutrality by 2050.
Valérie Séjourné, Managing Director of Solar Heat Europe, commented: “Europe needs to tap into the potential of all homegrown renewables to secure its resilience and energy security. From electricity to heat, the whole spectrum of renewables must be embraced, and the EU-based solar thermal sector definitely stands ready to scale, delivering benefits and immediate savings now”.
Solar thermal is a key homegrown energy supporting the objectives of AccelerateEU for immediate and long-term relief. Solar thermal technologies have an immense potential as they deliver savings as soon as they are installed, independently from the power grid and can work in combination with any other heat source including cost efficient storage. As such, their use in combination with other technologies such as heat pumps or others, enable greater flexibility to the overall energy system, as encouraged by the Communication.
Solar Heat Europe welcomes the European Commission’s call to accelerate the use of solar thermal technologies for district heating and industries, including support for public funding schemes for large-scale solar thermal projects via the Energy Efficiency Financing Coalition. Indeed, the decarbonisation of district heating networks and industry are two very dynamic markets for our sector, saving millions of cubic metres of gas every year, enabling access to affordable and clean energy for cities and industries. We also call on the Industrial Decarbonisation Bank terms and conditions to be adapted to better recognise the benefits of solar heat.
For households and buildings, where solar thermal is already installed on 12 million buildings across Europe, the potential to immediately scale up and relief energy bills is immense and should be more emphasised. It is key that solar thermal technologies are prioritised in Member States’ measures deriving from AccelerateEU in schemes such as fiscal incentives and financial support, social leasing for clean heating technologies, tapping into the potential of the EIB 3bn€ Frontloading Facility and upcoming revenues of ETS 2.
Authorities have also a role to lead by example for the roll out of EU-made solar thermal technologies on public buildings such as schools, hospitals, social housing. SMEs and tertiary buildings also have opportunities with AccelerateEU and an efficient transposition of EPBD’s Solar mandate to relief their energy bills with solar heat.
We count on the upcoming EU Heating & Cooling Strategy to raise the ambition for what solar thermal can offer as a homegrown, EU-made, resilient and reliable source of energy for citizens and industries. Members of Solar Heat Europe stand ready to scale and contribute, from their EU manufacturing sites, the delivery of energy security for EU citizens and industries provided the right policy signals and measures are in place in all Member States.