Qualit’EnR ? Partner of ESTEC 2011, the 5th European Solar Thermal Energy Conference

‘Installer certification and hence the quality of installations are crucial to the development of solar thermal in this highly competitive market for renewable heat; this is the key message we want to convey at ESTEC 2011’, said Xavier Noyon.

Thierry Autric commented that ‘… with Qualit’EnR and the Qualisol mark, the French market benefits from a highly efficient quality certification scheme which is both a benchmark and an example of good practice across Europe’.

ENERPLAN, co-organizer of the conference with ESTIF and prime mover in initiating the partnership, welcomed this agreement as voiced by its Managing Director Richard Loyen: ‘We have noticed that all European policies promoting renewable heat are stressing the role of installers and that France is ahead of the game, we hope that ESTEC 2011 will showcase the French solar thermal sector’.

For the first time, the European Solar Thermal Energy Conference, ESTEC, will take place in France at Parc Chanot in Marseille. On this occasion, a specific programme will be wholly dedicated to installers, members of Qualisol. Currently Qualisol comprises around 8,000 businesses committed to the quality of domestic solar water heaters in France.

Thanks to this quality assurance scheme, developed by Qualit’EnR over 5 years ago, anyone can find locally a competent person able to provide information, give advice and install solar thermal systems. Since 2007, 10 000 domestic solar water heaters have been audited and the number of installations deemed to be failing has decreased threefold – over 85% inspected installations are now either satisfactory or excellent.

www.estif.org

www.enerplan.asso.fr

www.qualit-enr.org