Gerhard Rabensteiner elected new president of the European Solar Thermal Industry Federation

Gerhard Rabensteiner, who was one of the founding members of ESTIF has served as Vice-President of the association since its foundation in 2002. He looks back on many years of experience in solar thermal as managing director of GREENoneTEC, which is now a part of KIOTO, a holding the Austrian co-founded in 2006. His background gives Mr. Rabensteiner the in-depth knowledge of the solar thermal industry and market which is needed to take up this challenging position. In addition to this, he has also represented ESTIF on policy issues over the last years, for example as speaker at a dinner debate at the European Parliament alongside Ms Mechtild Rothe, now Vice-President of the European Parliament.

His proven experience and his strong commitment to ESTIF helped Mr. Rabensteiner to be elected as president. The announcement of his election was made by Nigel Cotton, Chairman of the ESTIF Advisory Council at the general assembly of ESTIF, which was held on Friday the 20 April at the Solarexpo in Verona, Italy.

ESTIF was founded in 2002 and since then has established itself as a key factor in all areas of solar thermal. As the voice of solar thermal in Brussels, ESTIF promotes solar thermal policies to representatives of the EU institutions. The ESTIF initiated campaign for a Renewable Heating and Cooling Directive has ensured that this sector is no longer forgotten and will be covered by the forthcoming proposal for an overall Renewables Directive.

“With the European council’s decision of March 9th to raise the share of renewable energy sources to 20% by 2020, we have entered a new phase in the adoption of solar thermal”, says Mr Rabensteiner. “As the president of ESTIF I am looking forward to support solar thermal to become the clear winner of the new European commitment towards renewables. The wide success of solar thermal installations in Austria shows us the huge opportunities we are facing all over Europe.”

As one of his first official acts as the new president of ESTIF, Mr. Rabensteiner will open the 3rd European Solar Thermal Energy Conference, estec2007, which takes place 19-20 June 2007 in Freiburg, Germany. Estec has developed into the most important conference on solar thermal and will attract participants from all over the world.

Ole Pilgaard, who was ESTIF’s first president, is taking up a new challenge as President of Heliodyne in the US. With his strong dedication and hard work, Mr. Pilgaard was at the forefront of shaping ESTIF and its role in the European solar thermal environment for more than 4 years. In the name of all ESTIF members, Nigel Cotton, Chairman of ESTIF’s Advisory Council, thanked Ole Pilgaard at the General Assembly. ESTIF wishes him and his family all the best for their new life in the US.

For additional information:

www.estif.org