|
Brochure
 
Overview
Renewable Energy Sectors
FP6 Demonstration
Projects
Policy and
Legislation
European Stategic Energy
Technology Plan (SET Plan)
Biomass Action
Plan
Biofuels Standards
Publications
Public consultations
Events
|
The video (3'55”)
20% renewable energy by 2020
 |
|
 |
Renewable Energy Sectors
Solar Heating and Cooling
|Objectives-Technology
|Dissemination-Successful
Projects |Presentations-Publications
|Solar
Heating and Cooling
Solar Heating and Cooling: Objectives -
Technology
|
The development conditions of the solar thermal
sector are in the process of changing rapidly. The continuous increase
in the price of energies, associated with support systems set up by the
majority of governments, has made it possible to consolidate solar
thermal sector growth.During 2005, the market passed the
mark of two million m2 installed in Europe (2073391 m2, equivalent to
1451.4 MWth).Flat glazed collectors represent the main part of the solar
thermal market (89.4% of market share), followed by vacuum collectors
(6.4%) and then unglazed collectors (4.2%). Vacuum collectors are
generally more expensive, but make it possible to obtain much higher
temperatures. This technology is thus just as adapted to cold climates,
to heat water or habitations, as to hot climates, for cooling systems
necessitated by very high temperatures.Unglazed collectors offer
sufficient levels of performance to heat swimming pools. |
|
1. Annual installed surfaces (in m 2)
and power equivalent (in MWth)
|
|
Thanks to 25.6% growth in its national market,
Germany once again represents nearly half of the EU solar thermal
market.980000m2 were installed in Germany in 2005 (equivalent to 686
MWth). Austrian market growth has been similar (+ 25.1% with respect to
2004), with a newly installed surface of 239540 m2 (167.7 MWth of
capacity). Greece has maintained the level of its solar thermal market
(plus 3% of growth), i.e. 220500 m2 of newly installed surface,
equivalent to a capacity of 154.4 MWth.French market growth was very
high in 2005, above all thanks to the metropolitan France market that
grew by 76.3% between 2004 and 2005, i.e. 108158 m2 installed in 2005,
equivalent to 75.7 MWth. The French overseas departments market (34.2%
of the national market in 2005) remains essentially centred on Réunion
Island (48130 m2 out of the overseas department total of 56231 m2). In
the end, the total French market represented
164389m2 in 2005(115.1MWth).The cumulated surface of solar thermal
installations in the 25 countries of the EU is estimated at 17267538 m2
in 2005, corresponding to a capacity of 12087.3 MWth. Germany continues
to have a very wide lead, having the largest installed surface in the
European Union, that is to say 7109000 m2, i.e. the equivalent of a
4976.3 MWth capacity, followed by Greece with its 3047200 m2 (corresponding
to 2133 MWth), and Austria with its 2598785 m2 (corresponding to 1819.1
MWth). The rise in importance of the French market made it possible for
this country to conserve its fourth place rank, with 913868 m2 (corresponding
to 639.7 MWth).
PROMISING FUTURE, BUT FAR FROM WHITE PAPER OBJECTIVES
The situation of the solar thermal sector has never
before been so favourable. The traditional markets of Germany, Austria
and Greece are still just as solid, while those markets offering high
potential and backed up by incentive legislations, like France and
Spain, are showing good development prospects. The doubledigit growth
observed in most of the other countries of the European Union is also a
very encouraging sign, even if these markets are still far from being
developed.However, this optimism must not hide the fact that due to a
late implication on the part of most of the European governments, the
White Paper objectives (100 million m2 at the end of the year 2010) are
not going to be reached in the established time limits. Taking the
growth observed over the past three years into consideration, we
estimate total EU installed capacity at 32.1 million m2 in 2010 (equivalent
to 22499 MWth) i.e. a little less than one third of the European
objective. The “Sustainable Energy Europe” campaign objectives of an
additional 35 million m2 between 2005 and 2008 probably won’t be reached
either. |
2.
Cumulated capacity of thermal solar collectors
installed in the European Union in 2004 and
2005
(in m2 and in MWth)
|
|
3.Comparison between current trend and White
Paper objectives(in million of m 2)
EurObserv ’ER 2006
 |
|
EurObserv ’ER 2006 |
|
