The solution is in reach: how the recent energy crisis and global events are elevating solar thermal and solar PVT.

Over the past few months, European countries have woken up to the tangible effects of their reliance on imported fossil fuels on their energy security. With fossil fuel prices rising rapidly across the world, many countries are faced with an urgent need to quickly reduce their dependency on fossil fuel imports. Recent volatility indicates a turning point for the European energy mix and the need for innovative renewable alternatives to fossil fuels.

The German think tank Agora Energiewende (energy transition) compiled an action plan for the EU 27 to reduce their dependency on natural gas and oil and regain their energy sovereignty. It states that the EU 27 could reduce their natural gas consumption by 1200 TWh by the end of 2027. This would involve a reduction of Russian gas imports by 80%. The largest potential for cuts is seen in the power sector, -500 TWh; in the buildings sector, -480 TWh; and by industry with at least -223 TWh and up to -410 TWh.

Whilst acknowledging that each member state has different energy requirements, with Regaining Europe’s Energy Sovereignty, Agora Energiewende has created a comprehensive report with 15 distinct action areas which could be implemented by each country to varying degrees and immediately drive tangible results.

Many of these actions plans could be implemented in the United Kingdom today, to reduce fossil fuel dependency and meet our national net zero targets. Particularly with regard to UK housing and industry, Action Area 13 of the report calls for the built environment to be seen and utilised as an integral asset in the energy transition by mandating the installation of and support for both solar PV and solar thermal.

Action Area 13 calls for all building owners of new property developments as well as existing building stock to install solar PV or solar thermal by a specified date. If owners don’t want to install solar collectors themselves, they’ll have to allow others to install and operate solar collectors by leasing the space available to them. By mandating the installation of solar technologies in this way, we reduce our dependency on grid electricity for power and heat in buildings, facilitating energy independence and a diverse, secure energy mix.

Mandating the installation of solar thermal on buildings in the UK is particularly relevant to our efforts to replace natural gas. Generating heat in buildings, such a hot water generation and process heat, requires space efficient, distributed solutions, such as solar thermal. By heating water on site, cities can reduce their Scope 1 and 2 emissions and achieve energy resilience.

Furthermore, the report also advocates the use of solar thermal in its “Immediate actions to reduce fossil gas consumption in the run-up to winter 2022/23”. It advises incentivising industry to opt for low carbon and zero carbon solutions to address low temperature heat, at 100 °C or less, which accounts for 40% of industrial gas usage. Technologies such as higher temperature heat recovery units, industrial heat pumps, e-boilers, geothermal and solar thermal solutions are advocated.

In addition the report asks for an accelerated phase out of natural gas and oil boiler installations, in favour of the rapid adoption of renewable energy technologies, such as solar heat.

 This involves the creation of a ‘Renewables Ready’ building standard for existing buildings, which promotes best practice for operational performance and measures required to optimise the operations of renewable heating systems, such as heat pumps, low-temperature district heating networks and solar thermal. The report also advocates identifying “clusters” of buildings with high thermal demand, which are targeted as priorities for demand reduction and boiler replacement initiatives.

 Governments should also require utilities, district heating companies and providers of thermal billing services to identify clusters of buildings with a high thermal demand and ensure these clusters are being renovated with priority.

Finally, the report highlights the training of skilled professionals as a key priority for the energy transition. Approximately 25% of all gas and oil boilers in Europe will have to be replaced within the next five years. At the same time existing heating systems must be optimised and new renewable technologies must be installed. This presents a key issue and we’ve already seen a lack of skilled workers before the current crises hit. We will not meet our net zero targets if we don’t have enough skilled professionals.

The energy transition is a highly expensive endeavour. Governments should ensure enough financial support is available by re-investing ‘windfall profits’ obtained in the energy market through the high prices set by expensive gas power plants into scaling renewables deployment. 

The logic behind all these actions is compelling and constitutes a systematic approach to end fossil gas and oil dependency by using already existing and proven technology that will have an immediate and lasting impact if rolled out at scale now. Solar heat and power will inevitably play a crucial role in the energy transition.

At Naked Energy we’re experts in decarbonising heat and are leading the global innovation in solar thermal and solar PVT with a mission to change energy for good. We set out to decarbonise heat globally and support the transition to net zero carbon. Our high energy density solutions are capable of decarbonising heat affordably given its distributed nature, and our solar PVT technology delivers up to 3.5 times the energy per m2 in comparison to conventional solar electricity or PV technology.

Please reach out to learn more about how solar thermal can support your business in reaching net zero.