Project website: www.soltherm.org Project Start: 2001 Coordinator: Ecofys BV, The Netherlands Status: Ongoing Danish Website: www.altomsolvarme.dk

You will find the results of the project Soltherm Europe in a PDF brochure summarising the achievements and lessons learned at:
www.climatealliance.org/download/soltherm_abschlussdoku_en.pdf
and in a PDF Catalogue highlighting a number of campaigns at:
www.climatealliance.org/download/soltherm_catalogue_en.pdf
or you can download the documents at: www.soltherm.org/media.htm

The Soltherm Europe Initiative is a fast-growing European-wide network of experienced and new market actors, aiming to address that challenge by:

• initiating new marketing campaigns and sales actions to strongly boost the solar market
• exchanging experience
• enhance ongoing market stimulation activities with new insights and services

Solar water heating can make a significant contribution to meeting the EU's Kyoto targets for CO₂-emission reduction. The Soltherm Europe Initiative has been designed to address the coming challenges and was originally supported, via its Altener program, by the European Commission.

The EU Altener project supporting Soltherm Europe until now, has ended. Nevertheless climate change and mitigation policies will be dominating themes throughout this century.

The Altener project has given Soltherm a jumpstart resulting in fruitful cooperation of actors, involvement in over 50 campaigns in ten countries, network structures and an information base for sharing experiences. Local promotion campaigns and initiatives have proved to be a promising and effective alternative to large regional or national campaigns. Local authorities play a key role in these initiatives, often in the role of financiers and patrons. New professional support and networking structures and services can significantly raise the efficiency of local campaigns.

One option to help the climate is to expand use of solar water heating; the technical potential for the EU member states exceeds 300 million m² of collectors. Realisation of 30% of this potential by 2010 (as stated in the EU White Paper on Renewables) would reduce EU CO₂ emission by 6% of its Kyoto commitment.

With solar fractions ranging from 50% in Northern Europe to 80% in Southern Europe, solar water heaters represent a viable option throughout the EU. The Soltherm Europe Initiative has been undertaken with the aim of catalysing a structured increase in the sector's market development, to promote uptake of solar thermal applications EU-wide.