1 2 Field of solar thermal collectors in Jelling, South of Denmark +8.4 % The increase of the solar thermal market in the European Union in 2018 SOLAR THERMAL AND CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER BAROMETERS A study carried out by EurObserv’ER. solar solar concentrated and thermal power barometers solar solar concentrated and thermal power barometers t long last, after a sluggish decade of decline, the European Union solar Athermal market for hot water production and heating applications appears to have returned to growth. According to EurObserv’ER, the 2018 European market posted a rise of some 8.4% compared to 2017, which equates to 2.2 million m2 of newly-installed surface. However, the amounts of growth vary by country and market segment. oncentrated Solar Power (CSP) is a blanket term for all the technologies Cthat aim to convert the energy of the sun’s rays into very high temperature heat. While the main use of these plants is to generate electricity, CSP can also be used to supply heating networks or be integrated into industrial processes. 53.5 millions m2 2 314 MWe The cumulated surfaces of solar thermal Total CSP capacity in operation © Solarheateurope© in operation in the European Union in 2018 in the European Union in 2018 SOLAR THERMAL AND CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER BAROMETERS – EUROBSERV’ER – JUNE 2019 SOLAR THERMAL AND CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER BAROMETERS – EUROBSERV’ER – JUNE 2019 3 4 s climate warming’s repercus- a new 11.8% contraction on its 2017 per- 2018 to European solar heating networks sions become increasingly The solar Thermal markeT formance that can mainly be ascribed at 83 760 m2 (58.6 MWth). The report iden- A evident, solar thermal tech- aT sixes and sevens to declining interest in combined solar tifies 15 new solar thermal collector fields nology, which harnesses the sun’s systems (that supply both heating and (>500 m2) connected to a heating network, rays to convert it directly into heat, While EU-wide market growth is posi- hot water). Likewise, the Italian market six in Denmark (66 800 m2 including two is finally generating interest. EurOb- tive, piecemeal development charac- has been unable to stabilise and had to extensions to existing networks), six in serv’ER reckons that the European terises the national markets. Poland contend with a 7.9% decline in 2018 of Germany (9 380 m2), two in Austria (3 010 market which has been dwindling put in the best performance in 2018. about 139 000 m2 (excluding thermosy- m2) and one in Turkey (4 575 m2). The big- since 2009, picked up in 2018 (graph 1) Its sector, which took advantage of the phon systems). It is particularly affected gest heating network system was instal- as it grew from 2 to 2.2 million m2 (8.4% implementation of municipal tenders, by internecine competition from pho- led in the Danish city of Aabybro with 26 year-on-year growth) (tables 2 and 3). made a 180% leap to 310 000 m2. Another tovoltaic. In metropolitan France, the 195 m2 (18.3 MWth) of collector surface. The market data covers systems that use good piece of news is confirmation that sector grew overall in 2018 despite the In Germany, 2018 also witnessed the flat plate collectors, vacuum collectors the Greek market grew by 4% in 2018 to struggle of its individual hot water heater connection of the 983-m2 (0.7 MWth) Ber- and unglazed collectors. These technol- 328 500 m2, having already increased by market to beat off competition from ther- lin-Köpenick plant to the German capi- 2 ogies are designed to produce domestic 16.2% between 2016 and 2017 (from 272 modynamic water heaters. The French tal’s heating network. In Austria, a 656-m 2 hot water, heating, and to produce heat 000 to 316 000 m ). Spain’s market picked overseas territories, with targeted incen- (0.46 MWth) collector field was connected Field of solar thermal collectors and hot water for district heating net- up slightly (by 2%) confirming the pre- tives and substantial state support, are to Vienna’s heating network. No new hea- in Logumkloster, South Denmark Solarheateurope works and industry. In contrast, hybrid vious year’s turnaround when its market enjoying more momentum. ting networks were connected in France PV/T collectors capable of producing decline was limited to 5% between 2016 The European solar heating network in 2018, but industrial heat projects were electricity and heat simultaneously and and 2017. On the downside, some former and industrial solar heat markets are completed – a food-processing plant at purposes of this barometer (ministries, setting a new Polish installation record concentrating solar collectors (Fresnel market drivers continued to slide. A case gradually making ground with new sys- Melville (1 772 m2) and the Condat paper statistics offices, engineering and design in the sector. The good performance can mirrors and parabolic trough collectors) in point is the German market. While it tems identified in Denmark, Germany, mill (4 032 m2). This contrasts with the departments and heating manufactu- be ascribed to the implementation of for producing heat (industrial or heating leads the European Union market ran- Austria, Spain and France. The latest IEA Austrian project for the world’s biggest rers’ associations). Whenever collector municipal tenders announced in 2017 networks) are not included in this part kings with 573 500 m2 installed in 2018, it SHC Solar Heat Worldwide 2019 report, solar heating network – “Big Solar Graz” base data was not directly available, and decided on at the start of 2018. of the study. has been unable to stabilise and posted puts the collector surface connected in – which was dealt a severe blow as its EurObserv’ER relied on the market data These local programmes, that are backed construction, scheduled for 2019, remains that it had gleaned (sources quoted at by European funds, were instigated to uncertain. Difficulties relating to the roll- the end of this barometer) applying a tackle the smog generated by coal-fired out of this project launched in 2015, and decommissioning hypothesis of 20 years domestic heating appliances that widely disagreements with the Danish company for flat-plate collectors and 12 years for outnumber other heating appliances. The solar solar concentrated and thermal power barometers China, the sector’s global leader VKR-Arcon Sunmark, led to the collapse of unglazed collectors and taking the n-1 sector players are concerned about the solar solar concentrated and thermal power barometers its Austrian developer Solid, a company base data published by Eurostat at the market’s dependence on these tendering At a global scale, solar thermal capacity installed in 2018 is put at 33 300 MWth. China stands out from the field with 24 800 set up in 1992 that specialized in solar start of 2019 as its base. In 2018, the exis- procedures once the programmes have MWth of additional capacity, although this figure is lower than its 2017 effort, primarily because the residential solar heating and refrigeration systems for ting surface to date increased by 1.3 mil- run their full course. 2 2 water heater market – the sector’s main growth segment – is saturated. Turkey and India are also major players with the commercial and industrial sectors. lion m , which equates to a 0.9 million-m They feel that the traditional circuits’ national markets in excess of 1 200 MWth in 2018. At the end of 2017, 130 countries had solar thermal installations with The project that was initially designed for decommissioning total. The decommis- lack of structure (sales forces, whole- combined capacity put at 472 000 MWth. 450 000 m2 (250 MWth) was subsequently sioning phenomenon should accelerate salers and retail installation networks) downscaled to 220 000 m2. Its 900 000-m3 in the next few years due to the growth in could lead to the sector weakening storage system was intended to cover installations during the 2000s that culmi- without the possibility of capitalising Tabl. n° 1 15% of the district heating needs of the nated to 4,6 m2 of collectors in 2008. In a on the “anti-smog” publicity campaigns city of Graz. few years’ time this trend will raise the set up by the local authorities. Accord- Main solar thermal markets outside the European Union (MWth) issue of maintaining the European Union ing to SPIUG, 80% of current sales are solar heat contribution target levels if made through municipal investments Total cumulative capacity a european base of 53.4 the market fails to recover significantly and up to 20% through traditional distri- Annually installed capacity in operation million m2 aT The end of and be sustained. bution channels. Another trend is that 2018 while the market segments have devel- 2017 2018 2017 oped, the residential share is shrinking China 26 100 24 800 334 500 The total surface of the European Union Solar breakS through the in favour of other sectors (commercial, collector base should consolidate at PoliSh fog service, heating networks and indus- Japan 1 348 1 320 16 300 about 53.5 million m2 (37 418 MWth) at trial heat). SPIUG claims that in 2018, USA 1 063 1 240 7 700 the end of 2018 according to EurOb- In 2018, the main respite in the Euro- residential accounted for 80% of the China 860 850 10 400 serv’ER, i.e. a 2.4% increase on its 2017 pean Union solar thermal market came newly-installed capacity (75% in ren- India 658 625 17 800 level (table 4). This estimate includes the from Poland, where according to SPIUG ovation and 5% in new build), 15% in three main solar thermal technologies (the Association of Manufacturers and commercial and 5% in the other sec- Rest of the world including EU 4 571 4 465 85 300 (flat-plate collectors, vacuum collectors Importers of Heating Appliances) the tors (heating networks, industry).