GENERA’08, the International Energy and Environment Fair, an event organised by IFEMA, will present the lastest renewable energy advances, products and solutions on February 26^th – 28^th, in hall 12 of Feria de Madrid. GENERA, which will now take place on an annual basis, highlights solar thermal energy on February 28th, when the ‘II Solar Thermal Energy Congress’ shall take place and where several experts will discuss the many applications of this kind of energy efficiency and its adjustment to the Spanish regulation’s current requirements.

The new legal frame established by the Building Technical Code (Código Técnico de la Edificación - CTE) requires, since March 2007, that solar panels are installed in order to take advantage of solar energy in new buildings and also in those that are renovated. This renewable alternative can be used in houses for domestic hot water (DHW), heating, swimming-pool heating and to feed refrigeration systems. Nevetheless, and despite its high solar potential, there are very few solar collection installations in Spain. Just by using a small part of these resources, with the available technology, Spain can cover about 70% of the domestic hot water needs of all homes, reveals the organizer’s press releases.

Juan Fernández San José, President of the Thermal Industry Solar Associaction (Asociación Solar de la Industria Térmica - ASIT), declared: “There is a big feeling of uncertainty in the sector due to the scant growth of the spanish market in 2007 comparing with last years’ results and the Renewable Energies Plan (Plan de Energías Renovables - PER). The main reasons that explain the delay in the established predictions are the low impact of CTE and the reduction of public investment”.