The European Parliament approved by overwhelming majority the “Thomsen Report” on the Roadmap for Renewable Energies in Europe, crucial for the future of solar thermal. It calls for the adoption in all Member States of renewable heat obligations, at least in new buildings and those undergoing major renovation.

Until now, solar thermal was not covered by EU legislation. EU Directives are in force to promote renewables in the electricity and in the transport sector, but heating and cooling had so far been neglected. According to ESTIF’s (European Solar Thermal Industry Federation) press release, with this vote the European Parliament asks the European Commission to ensure that “any proposal for a framework directive for renewables contains strong measures for the promotion of renewable heating and cooling, making it compulsory, at least where existing buildings are substantially renovated and new buildings are built, for a minimum proportion of the heating requirement to be met from renewable sources, as it already is in a growing number of regions and municipalities”.

ESTIF Policy Director, Raffaele Piria, stated: “We warmly welcome this clear statement of the European Parliament. New buildings will last at least into the second half of the 21st century, when oil, gas and uranium will be very scarce and expensive. As the market alone does not deliver incentives to keep into account future conditions, we need solar obligations. We have now to work to convene the Council, i.e., the national governments to support them.”