Overview on European Standards and Certification Issues for Solar Thermal Systems
Abstract
European Standards can be used to enhance safety and performance, improve energy efficiency, and protect consumers, workers and the environment. They complement European and national policies, and make it easier for businesses and other actors to respect relevant legislation. European Standardization is a key instrument for consolidating the Single Market and facilitating cross-border trade – within Europe and also with the rest of the world. Furthermore, “Keymark” is the voluntary European certification mark demonstrating conformity with European Standards. In the last years solar installations have advanced to standard house equipment, attracting also the attention of the European legislators. Solar products, as all products, must meet certain essential requirements related to health, safety and environment before they can be placed on the European market. These requirements are defined by the European Union directives, which are adopted by each member country as national legislation. Several directives offer considerable support to the development of the solar market. Furthermore public subsidies are allocated by states/communities provided that the product is certified under a proper certification scheme. The scope of this work is to present an overview of European standards for solar thermal systems and components, to update on the Solar Keymark quality label, as well as to discuss on relevant legislative issues as “Energy Labelling” and “Energy Performance in Buildings Directive” in relation with solar thermal systems. Future trends and needs for standardization are also discussed and highlighted.