WRITTEN QUESTION E-0494/03

by Chris Davies (ELDR) to the Commission

(21 February 2003)

Subject: Support for solar power

What is the Commission's latest estimate of the contribution of solar power to meeting energy needs in each EU Member State?

The German Government has recently announced that state funding for solar heat collectors will be increased to EUR 125 per square metre in order to increase the area of solar heat collectors to 10 million square metres by 2006.

What state subsidies and what targets for increasing the use of solar heating have been set by each Member State?

What financial support is available from the Commission towards the promotion of solar heating, and what targets have been set for the EU as a whole?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(27 March 2003)

The Commission puts the solar heating potential at between 75 and 100 million square metres by 2010. This wide range is due to the fact that trends vary greatly from one country to another. Although in 2000 there were 9,5 million square metres installed in Europe and around 20 million

are forecast by the end of 2003, the breakdown between the various Member States is far from uniform, as 79 % of installations are located in only four countries and 67 % in three. Contrary to what might be expected, the countries with the best performance are not, with the exception of Greece, those with the greatest potential, but rather those where proactive measures have been taken.

As regards the targets of the Member States, Community acts refer only to the commitment of the Member States as regards, first, the overall target of a 12 % share for renewable energies in total energy consumption by 2010 and, second, national targets regarding electricity production from renewable energy sources under Directive 2001/77/EC(1). Only a minority of Member States have specific programmes or targets concerning the development of solar heating.

At Community level, legislative instruments do not contain any specific targets for thermal solar energy or heating/refrigeration. Nevertheless, the Member States have committed themselves under Directive 2002/91/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 December 2002 on the energy performance of buildings(2) to reduce demand in this sector by introducing measures concerning energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources. Some cities have already adopted municipal regulations to promote the use of solar heating in buildings.

The Commission supports initiatives aimed at promoting thermal solar energy under Community programmes, including its use in buildings and heating/refrigeration. As regards innovation under the 6th Framework Programme for research and technological development, one objective is Community support for the development of more efficient solar collectors and the use of plastic and composite materials (for example Flexcol and Compact projects). A second objective concerns the development of more efficient solar power stations for the large scale production of energy using solar concentration technologies (for example, Eurotrough, Solair and PS10 projects). As regards promotion, the Altener programme encourages the production of solar energy in sectors such as tourism (hotels, etc.) and sport (sports facilities). Certain regions of the Member States have turned to the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for financial assistance for solar energy programmes (for example, Crete and Andalusia).

The Commission considers that the targets set between 75 and 100 million square metres should be maintained and that efforts should be made in regions with the greatest potential, particularly through the rapid application of the abovementioned Directive on the energy performance of buildings.

(1) Directive 2001/77/EEC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 September 2001 on the promotion of electricity produced from renewable energy sources in the internal electricity market, OJ L 283, 27.10.2001.

(2) OJ L 1, 4.1.2003.