From a young age, Mr Drücke held a deep conviction that his pathway would be one of sustainability. After completing his studies in business management, he undertook his civil service in the environment ministry of his home state in Germany.

“After that, it was completely clear to me that I wanted to engage in environmental technology.”

His first job was with a company in Cologne that was developing concentrating solar power projects in North Africa and Spain, as well as photovoltaic facades. He has since gone on to carry out the first solar thermal campaign in Germany, and is now head of sales and marketing at KBB Kollektorbau GmbH, an industrial manufacturer of solar collectors.

Waking up the sleeping giant

“I wanted to be an advocate for solar thermal because the solar photovoltaic industry already has strong voices. Solar thermal is lacking those strong personalities who really serve an industry that has enormous potential. It’s a big opportunity to help this sleeping giant to wake up.”

Mr Drücke recently visited Australia to present at a number of conferences, including the Australian and New Zealand Solar Energy Society conference in Townsville, and All-Energy 09 in Melbourne.

“I noticed that the solar thermal sector in Australia is very under estimated here. The actors in Australia seem not to have understood the potential of solar heating and cooling for tackling climate change.”

He explains that solar thermal has a vital role to play given that – in the overall energy consumption of the European Union – heating makes up nearly 50 percent of energy consumption. In contrast, transport makes up 30 per cent, and electricity – “the sector that everybody is talking about,” says Mr Drücke – only makes up 20 per cent of overall energy demand.

“So if you want to make a sustainable and responsible energy and climate protection energy policy, you must tackle that 50 per cent of the pie, which is for of heating and cooling. This 50 per cent equals 50 per cent of CO2 emissions.”

While not denying the importance of developing renewable energy technology in the power sector, Mr Drücke argues that, in the end, it only has the potential to contribute 20 per cent of CO2 reductions in industrialised countries.

“If you want to make a difference, and you don’t have a lot of time, we have to urgently tackle the heating potential.”

Playing in concert

This belief in the major role of solar thermal does not inhibit Mr Drücke’s understanding of the need for strong collaboration between all renewable sectors.

“The energy systems of the future are going to be a great mix, and any technology line has its ideal application field. We don’t talk about competition, we talk about complementing. ESTIF is not a solo player. We play in concert to achieve the best melody.”

Mr Drücke envisages that there will be no coal burnt in 20 to 30 years, and no nuclear energy at all in the next 20 years, so renewable energy has a big responsibility.

“This duty is so large that there will be enough places for everyone.”

The European Solar Thermal Industry Federation is located in the Renewable Energy House in Brussels, a building that houses more than 15 renewable energy associations. The European Renewable Energy Council (EREC) facilitates their collaboration as the umbrella association.

“Eight to ten years ago, the major renewable energy actors in Europe decided it would make much more sense to unite, to bring forward the message that unites all associations.

“Together, we have a louder voice, because we are representing millions of jobs.”

Lessons to be learnt

In the 70s and 80s, there was a sudden deployment of solar thermal in Europe, but, as Mr Drücke explains, the industry was damaged by poorly engineered products and sub standard installation.

He estimates that if the industry was to be damaged like this again, “we would lose something like 10 to 15 years in our fight against climate change.

“We cannot let that happen. We must deliver quality.”

He adds, “Now that we are expecting a major market boom in solar thermal, it is very important that we have in place a scheme for collectors and for solar thermal systems that guarantees a minimum set of requirements.”

Lasting impressions

True to his call for strong personalities to lead solar thermal’s development, Mr Drücke concludes the interview with one lasting image.

“You are in France, a country that is powered 70 to 80 per cent by nuclear. Imagine that are you reading a book for one hour by electric light.

“We will pay for the consumption of that light for the next ten thousand years. If this light had been generated by renewable energy, it is forgotten as soon as it is consumed.”