Strategy for solar-thermal energy
The Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (IPTS), part of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, has published a report outlining a proposed European "Strategy for solar-thermal energy". The report highlights the need for a coordinated strategy, involving both technology suppliers and users, in order to ensure that European industry is well positioned to assume a world leadership role in the expansion of solar-thermal technology. This strategy should: - Support research, development and demonstration to improve technology and reduce costs, so that market forces alone would support the solar energy industry by 2010; - Develop markets in the sun-belt countries for the export of European solar-thermal plants and the transfer of European technology via cooperative projects, with emphasis on the southern Mediterranean region; - Develop economies of scale in manufacturing solar-thermal plants to build a competitive supplier industry. The long-term objectives of this strategy would be to give Europe a solar option which could be expanded on a large scale in response to market forces and environmental needs, and to reduce the depletion of fossil fuels.