“Solar thermal, a made in Europe clean tech”

Made in Europe, strengthening energy independence

As the EU accelerates its efforts to reinforce its energy security and scale up domestic clean tech production, the purpose of this campaign is to position solar thermal as a ready-to-deploy EU-made solution for decarbonising heating and cooling, a sector that accounts for nearly half of Europe’s energy needs.

The solar thermal sector represents a long-established European success story built on a strong network of SMEs and recognised as a strategic industry under the EU Net-Zero Industry Act.

The campaign aims to:

Showcase Europe’s solar thermal manufacturing base
Position solar thermal as a strategic EU-made clean technology
Raise awareness among EU and national policymakers and encourage policy action to boost the demand for solar heat solutions

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Our policy calls

Protect EU-made technologies

Establish a “Made in Europe” preference in public procurement, especially for solar thermal technologies.
Protect EU’s excellence in solar thermal manufacturing, promote research and exports through an EU Solar Thermal Industry Alliance.

Make sure that the solar mandate (Art.10 of the EPBD) is fulfilled with EU-made solar panels.
Put in place anti-dumping measures on imports from outside the EU.

Ensure fair competition between renewables

Encourage technology coupling using solar heat and other clean technologies as well as thermal energy storage to successfully achieve the transition.
Ensuring fair treatment and fair competition for the establishment of renewable energy manufacturing sites.

Improve market conditions for solar heat

Prioritise the use of decentralised renewable heat sources and the use of solar heat.
Lead awareness raising campaigns for solar heat.
Boost the demand for solar heat technologies by establish national strategies for solar heat for buildings, district heating and industry.
Address the skills agenda for the whole solar thermal value chain.

Unlock financial instruments

Facilitate permitting and access to finance, especially for solar thermal technologies (which have high CAPEX).
Include a merit order for renewable heat technologies regarding the access to finance.

Context and stakeholder testimonials

EVP Stéphane Séjourné, Commissioner for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy

On 2nd February 2026, EVP Stéphane Séjourné launched across Europe a broad campaign stating: “Now is the time for Europe to produce more, and above all, more strategically. To ensure our economic security, we must support and de-risk our key value chains. We, as economic and political leaders (...) must establish, once and for all, a genuine European preference in our most strategic sectors. It is based on a very simple principle : whenever European public money is used, it must contribute to European production and quality jobs. This is the rationale that we will defend in every initiative. It is an act of economic independence, a direct implementation of the Draghi report, a call for clear preference for all those who choose Europe.” - Solar Heat Europe has been promoting this Call and has relayed it on many CEOs in the solar thermal sector, who have co-signed this op-ed

Read the op-ed

Victor Van Hoorn, Cleantech for Europe

“The world has become less stable, predictable and open. These times require strategic clarity: we need abundant homegrown renewable electrons and molecules for our energy security, we need to scale the clean industries of the future for our competitiveness, and we need critical material inputs for both. The EU’s challenge today is not a lack of innovation but scaling commercial success. (...) Therefore, our last option is introducing Made in Europe requirements for public funding and procurement in select strategic cleantech sectors essential to European competitiveness and resilience. It builds on a simple and legitimate principle: when public money is used it should translate into a clear and firm demand signal for cleantech made in Europe.”

Read the signed full letter

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“Europe needs a dedicated action plan for solar thermal technologies. This plan should (…) protect EU’s excellence in solar thermal manufacturing, pursue research and promote exports and develope an EU solar thermal Industry Alliance.”

– MEP Prof. Iannis Maniatis intervention at Solar Heat Europe’s event in the European Parliament on November 2025

Already part of the campaign

Interested in taking part?

If you are a company with a manufacturing site in one or more European countries that produces solar thermal collectors or their components.

Contact us!

Alba Garriga

Communications and Membership Officer