Brussels, 6 May 2026 | More than 90 organisations from the European solar thermal sector, manufacturers, stakeholders and supporters, have joined forces in a joint call to European and national policymakers, calling for the inclusion of solar thermal in key provisions of the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA), released on 4 March. While the sector supports the IAA’s purpose to strengthen Europe’s industrial capacity in clean technologies and ensure a level playing field in face of unfairly subsidised overcapacities from third countries, the signatories stress that the current draft of the IAA could undermine the competitiveness of a largely Europe-based industry and weaken the EU’s broader clean energy and industrial ambitions.
The solar thermal sector must be represented in the Act because:
- It currently meets around 90% of European demand for solar thermal technologies and can rapidly scale up production, with more than 100 manufacturing sites across the continent.
- It represents a vibrant industry, with many companies actively exporting worldwide.
- It is composed almost entirely of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) well established in their communities, creating local growth, skilled jobs and economic value.
In the letter, industry representatives also warn that inconsistent policy signals and increasing global competition are already putting pressure on the market. Against this backdrop, the sector calls for concrete policy action to restore visibility and support for solar thermal.
The letter urges policymakers to reintroduce solar thermal into the IAA, ensure a level playing field with other renewable technologies and develop concrete policy calls to unlock its full potential in Europe’s energy transition.