Solar thermal and concentrated solar power barometers - EurObserv'ER - June 2018

Solar thermal energy is no doubt the ultimate physical form for transferring heat to water without emitting greenhouse gases or pollutants. Yet in 2017 the sector struggled to survive in the hot water production and heating market. According to EurObserv'ER, the annual solar thermal collector surface area in the European Union dropped below the 2 million m² mark, i.e. by 24.2% compared to the previous year's installed surface area. The individual national market figures vary widely, with several countries showing encouraging signs. Concentrated solar power is another way of harnessing direct sunlight. The technology consists of concentrating the sun's rays using mirrors to heat a fluid to high temperature, produce steam and thus produce electricity. The European Union's installed base has remained at almost the same level since 2014 and stood at 2 314 MW at the end of 2017. The global market whose growth has been sluggish over the past two years (110 MW in 2016 and 100 MW in 2017) should pick up speed from 2018 onwards