Clean Energy Technology Observatory, Solar thermal energy in the European Union : status report on technology development, trends, value chains & markets : 2024

This Clean Energy Technology Observatory report analyses the current status and development trends of solar thermal energy, including both concentrated solar power (CSP) and solar heat for buildings, district heating, and industrial processes. While CSP has developed to a commercial scale, up to now it has played a small role in decarbonising the energy system, and global market growth remains modest. The EU has not added to the existing fleet of CSP plants since 2013 and targeted auctions may be needed to increase deployment.. In the meantime China is emerging as the main developer of CSP systems thanks to a steady project pipeline. Solar thermal technologies for heating and cooling had a challenging year, with a growth of only 3%. Investments slowed 24% due to competition from other technologies such as heat pumps, and because important support schemes ended in Italy, Germany and Poland. Some countries, such as Denmark, show robust growth in solar district heating, where 150 district systems use solar thermal heat. Also the solar heat market for industrial processes tripled globally in 2023 compared to 2022. The EU remains a technology leader in system integration, digitization, and thermal storage.