The European Solar Thermal Technology Panel has selected a new Steering Committee. This Committee is composed of 15 members from 9 different countries, including Turkey. These members have diverse experience in the solar thermal field, with various backgrounds, either from the private or public sector, representing industry, research, educational and (inter)governmental fields.
The Steering Committee has a major role in leading and strengthening the work of the Solar Thermal Technology Panel of the RHC-Platform, including the revision of the Strategic Research Agenda, the development of the Solar Thermal Technology Roadmap, besides all the contributions to the work developed on the RHC-Platform.
According to Gerhard Stryi-Hipp, President of the European Technology Platform on Renewable Heating and Cooling (RHC-Platform) this renewed Steering Committee “brings new experiences and even more diversity, which will represent a great added value to the work of the Solar Thermal Technology Panel and the entire RHC-Platform. I am certain that the solar thermal sector as well as the renewable heating and cooling sector will benefit widely from this group’s work in paving the way for more and better R&D work in this field”.
The first meeting of this Steering Committee will be held on 4 July 2011 at the Renewable Energy House in Brussels.
The complete list of members of the new Steering Committee is available here.
The European Solar Thermal Technology Platform (ESTTP) was launched on 21 June 2005. This was a major step to advance the development of solar thermal technology. As early as 2006, the ESTTP formulated its 2030 vision for low-temperature solar thermal, the outcome was the publication at the end of 2008 of a Strategic Research Agenda "Solar Heating and Cooling for a Sustainable Energy Future in Europe". This document, developed by over 100 experts, sets out the research programme and infrastructure needed if solar thermal is to supply 50% of the heating and cooling energy demand in Europe. In 2009 the ESTTP was enlarged to become the European Technology Platform on Renewable Heating and Cooling. Therefore, ESTTP now refers to the Solar Thermal Technology Panel of this enlarged Platform which now also includes other renewable technologies.
The European Technology Platform on Renewable Heating & Cooling (RHC-Platform) brings together industry, research and policy stakeholders from the biomass, geothermal and solar thermal sectors to determine a common strategy for increasing the use of renewable energy technologies in heating and cooling.
Building on the experience acquired since 2005 within the European Solar Thermal Technology Platform (ESTTP), now incorporated in the RHC-Platform, four major European organisations – EUREC, AEBIOM, EGEC and ESTIF – are spearheading the development of a common Vision and a Strategic Research Agenda for the renewable heating and cooling sector in Europe.
The RHC-Platform, officially endorsed by the European Commission since October 2008, is playing a decisive role in maximising synergies and strengthening efforts towards research, development and technological innovation which will consolidate Europe’s leading position in the sector.
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