National situations

Work package 2 carries out the analysis of the local situations in the Eastern European partner countries. Its duration is 13 months (from month 2 to month 14), and its leader is UL FME (University of Ljubljana), the Slovenian partner. The main objective of the WP is to examine the initial state of development of the solar thermal market in each Eastern partner country. Each country will initiate market studies, to show their economic, industrial and technical conditions, so that solar thermal applications in general and GSR concept in particular can be approved.

This WP is divided in 2 tasks:

• State of present solar hot water market and future potential in the 5 Eastern European partner countries:
  
  
  
The 5 Eastern partners will achieve an investigation on the solar hot water market and its short-term evolution in the most important fields such as housing, tourism, health, industry or education. Both public and private owners will be considered, knowing that the owner's willingness to apply for a solar thermal system will be first observed. Besides, an information work will have to be done close by the public, end-users, final customers concerning such installations. The knowledge of the initial technical, industrial, economic, financial, politic and social conditions is required. On this subject, it is definitely important to identify the different barriers and constraints to the implementation of such installations. In order to be well integrated on the local scene, it will be necessary to recognise the local bodies and professionals that could be involved in the project.


• Identification of economic and financial requirements for a wide dissemination of the GSR concept:
  
  
  
The project takes into account the mobilisation of both private and external funds. In some cases, direct financial aids (such as public subsidies) or fiscal incentives already exist. They have allowed implementing projects (successful or not according to the local context) in the solar thermal sector. It is then necessary to establish the mechanisms, applications and results of this kind of aids. At the end of the studies carried out during this WP, it will be possible to specify the necessary financial and economic requirements adapted to each Eastern partner country.