The study finds that in 2010, a total of 3 600 million Euro were invested in the renewable heating market segment - 3 400 million Euro were direct investments in new heating systems and only 215 millionen Euro were invested in manufacturing capacity. Compared to the RES electricity market, these numbers are negligible: a total of 26 800 million invested, 3 800 of which (more than the total heating market) went to an extension of manufacturing capacity.
The unstable policy framework was seen as the key obstacle. Where renewable electricity is governed by the renewable energies act (EEG), a law that includes a feed-in tariff, a similar approach for the use of renewable heat is missing.
The only country that discusses it is the UK with its renewable heat incentive (RHI) however it is far from clear, when and if it will come into effect in the near future.
EHPA is convinced that the underlying argument of the study applies to all Europe and encourages Member States governments to treat renewable energy equally - independant of being electrical or thermal energy.
The full study (German) is available for download.