German solar-thermal market shrinks 9.4% Y/Y in 2012

(SeeNews) – Feb 19, 2013 – Around 145,000 new heating systems with collector surface of 1.15 million square metres were installed in Germany last year, down by 9.4% in annual terms, the Federal Industrial Association of Germany House, Energy and Environmental Technology (BDH) and the German Solar Industry Association (BSW-Solar) said.

The solar-thermal market thus achieved the level booked in 2010, but remained below the record level of 2008, when the collector surface of the newly installed systems stood at 2.10 million square metres.

The total number of solar thermal systems in Germany amounted to around 1.8 million in 2012, the organisations further said.

BDH and BSW-Solar project that demand will pick up in 2013, as households increasingly feel the need to modernise their heating systems.

However, the expansion of solar heat in the country is still held back by the lack of continuous and budget-independent incentive programme, so the two organisations have urged the politicians to create the necessary framework conditions.

Choose your newsletter by Renewables Now. Join for free!