Primary target groups

Operators and owners of outdoor pools will be addressed to initiate projects for the installation of solar thermal heating systems for outdoor swimming pools. These are mainly public authorities, hotels or private persons, who have to be informed about the potential economic and environmental impact of this technology. Public authorities have to fight against increasing costs for operation and maintenance of their buildings and other facilities, due to growing energy costs all over Europe.  This scenario also influences hotels and private persons. I.e. this target group is interested in an improvement of their facilities to work economically efficient and ensure a sustainable energy supply. The SOLPOOL project intents to base on this issue and develop a special promotion campaign (including workshops) for the use of solar outdoor pool heating which will pay regard to the demands of this target group.

Installers of heating and solar thermal systems will also be addressed with a second SOLPOOL promotion campaign. Installers play a major role in the field of solar thermal energy, but not all of them are already experienced in solar technologies. Especially in the new Member States the solar branch is at its beginning, but growing in the last few years.  Installation of solar thermal systems for the heating of outdoor pools is definitely an interesting field of activity for installers, since this kind of energy generation is one of the most logical ways to heat outdoor pools (People go swimming when the sun is shining, i.e. energy is needed and available at the same time!). To involve as much installers as possible they need to be informed about the technological background and concepts as well as the feasibility and efficiency of those systems. This is what the SOLPOOL project is aiming at with the preparation and execution of a special promotion campaigns (including workshops) for installers in different European Member States. It is planned to integrate the companies into a database and make this available to interested owners and operators on the project web site.

One regional authority is directly involved in the SOLPOOL proposal as project partners (the Provincia di Lecce). They have actively contributed to orientate the proposal to their needs and will work in all work packages.

Complementary target groups

Suppliers and producers of solar thermal equipment and systems are not directly addressed by the SOLPOOL project, but will be influenced indirectly by the success of the SOLPOOL project with a growing turnover. I.e. these companies have a special interest in the promotion activities of SOLPOOL and some of them will therefore support some of the project partners in financial terms (see attached letter of intent from the Czech company SOLARTEC) and with their expertise as well.

Due to the publications, flyers and brochures as well as the project web site and promotion activities on fairs and exhibitions, more than hundred suppliers and producers of solar thermal equipment will be reached in each country. The database of the installers will be upgraded with the most experienced and qualified companies to provide expert knowledge.

Complex solar installations and systems are normally planned by engineering offices. I.e. engineering offices specialised in solar technologies are experts for solar pool heating. They will also be affected by the SOLPOOL project through new initiated projects. Whenever it is possible the practical expertise of engineering offices will be implemented into the project work. Some experts will be named for each participating country and added to the company database of installers, suppliers and producers.

Beside the two technological groups mentioned above a third complementary target group    - users of the pools - will be addressed. These could be visitors of public outdoor pools or hotel guests. The promotion activities of SOLPOOL will reach a multitude of these users via information panels to be fixed at public places as an eye-catcher. These information panels will provide understandable information on solar technology and the effects on the economy and environment.

Key actors
The key actors in Europe for promotion of renewable energies are energy agencies. They operate on regional and national level. Thus the SOLPOOL consortium integrates energy agencies from five different European countries (four national and three regional), one research institute (TTZ) and one solar association (DGS), with a focus on the new Member States, because of the great potential of solar energy in these countries. The energy agencies are experienced in promotion activities and have the required resources to carry out the SOLPOOL work tasks. They will have the interest to continue the dissemination activities after the project duration and will involve their other regional agencies into the activities to support the growth of solar thermal systems.

The target groups will be approached by the SOLPOOL partners / key actors (energy agencies, association). All of them have contributed to the SOLPOOL proposal and are responsible to carry out the SOLPOOL campaigns in their country.