Solterm Italia was launched in June 2024. The new Italian solar thermal association aims to raise public awareness of solar thermal energy and push for a stable legal framework and reliable subsidy regulations. Solterm Italy is not expecting a strong market revival this year. The association assumes that 2024 will be a transition year and is optimistic that the development of solar thermal energy in Italy will gradually pick up speed. The photo shows an industrial process heat system that supplies the Martini and Rossi factory in the province of Turin with steam. The collector field consisting of vacuum flat-plate collectors has been in operation since February 2021.
Photo: TVP Solar
Companies in the Italian solar thermal industry have founded an interest group. The new association currently comprises five companies. These are Absolicon (Sweden), the Eneretica Group (Italy) with its Paradigma Italia brand, Solho (Netherlands) as part of the Meriaura Group (Finland), Pleion (Italy) and TVP Solar (Switzerland). “It is clearly just the beginning; we want to grow fast”, said Guglielmo Cioni, Chief Business Development Officer of TVP Solar and Board Member of Solterm Italia. The aim of the association is to promote solar thermal energy and integrate it more strongly into Italy’s national energy mix. To this end, it wants to act as an important point of contact for institutions and interest groups in the sector. “Solterm Italia welcomes all professionals interested in solar thermal energy, promoting collaboration that aims at a more sustainable and clean energy future”, said Cioni.
Italian solar thermal market statistics 2010 to 2023. Source: Solar Heat Worldwide / Assotermica
According to Cioni, solar thermal energy needs to be publicized and promoted much more widely. This applies both to applications in private households and to large-scale solar thermal systems, such as those used in district heating or to provide industrial and commercial process heat. Such systems with an output of several megawatts are becoming increasingly important as they are a valuable solution for decarbonizing the heat supply. Interest in solar district heating is increasing in Italy as a result of the EU Buildings Directive. Some plants are already in operation (see photo above) and TVP Solar is realizing another one this year. “Our intention is to dramatically scale up the deployment and to continue to produce our equipment in Europe”, confirmed Cioni. “But, like any other industry, we need a stable regulatory framework and consistent support schemes to compete on a level playing field with other renewables and with fossil fuels.”
In the past, there was already an independent solar thermal association in Italy called Assolterm. The old association was dissolved in 2013 and some of its members are still organized in the heating industry association Assotermica. Assotermica’s members include a number of companies that offer solar thermal systems. But all of them have their core business in other technologies such as gas heating, heat pumps or biomass. “This is why we strongly believe the existence of an association to represent solar thermal is important,” said Zeno Benciolini, Technical Manager of sales preparation at vacuum tube specialist Pleion. “In any case, we are in touch with Assotermica and we aim to cooperate with them while maintaining our clear identity as solar thermal specialists.”
Solar thermal market in Italy in decline
The new association is currently facing the challenge of doing something about falling sales figures on the Italian market. In 2021 and 2022, sales of solar collectors had risen sharply thanks to a Superbonus that enabled investors to receive a 110% tax reduction for energy efficiency measures. The abrupt termination of the Superbonus subsidy programme in 2023 led to a market slump in solar thermal energy of almost a third. “This is an example of what happens with stop and go policies, which do not allow proper industrial planning”, said Cioni.
Solterm Italy is not expecting a strong market revival this year. The association assumes that 2024 will be a transitional year but is optimistic that the development of solar thermal energy in Italy and throughout the EU will gradually pick up speed. Italy’s national energy and climate plan also includes the goal of tripling solar thermal energy by 2030. But so far there has been a lack of political support. “We are not yet seeing clear policy measures to facilitate the achievement of such a target, which would involve substantial productive investments and a ramp-up of installation capacity and training of new skills. To succeed and make the target a reality we want to work with our national governments and plan ahead”, said Cioni.
