The basic components, such as boilers and collectors, are considered well-developed, but there is a need for adjustment to better suit a combined system and to offer improved and more efficient solutions to the costumer. The technical focus of development is mainly on adapted system components, such as new small boilers with smaller volumes of water, working to charge appropriate accumulator tanks, as well as integrated control systems for both solar collectors and boiler. Up to recently, the installers were forced to combine different existing components themselves, often resulting in less efficient systems. There are now efforts made to deliver complete systems. It has previously been rather complicated to purchase those systems, since different components had to be ordered from different suppliers. One important challenge is therefore the “one phone call” issue,

which was tackled by the pellet industry some years ago, but is now also raised for combined systems. It means that the costumer should only need to make one phone call, all to simplify the purchase phase and then reach a larger number of costumers.

The serious development and marketing of the solar and pellet concept in Sweden just started, and it is increasing; several new system solutions have been presented the last one or two years. Some companies started to develop and offer combined system already about five years ago, but it was mainly small suppliers, which were not strong enough to achieve a market breakthrough. At present, larger actors start to show interest in the combination, which is a prerequisite to reach standardized systems, more money into development and marketing as well as larger purchased quantities. The larger actors will most likely also guide the smaller ones to an extended product selection.

Solar heating systems in general are considered to have had the breakthrough in 2006-2007. Several well-established retailers fear the consequences of cheap, bad-quality products imported from China, as well as non-professional businesspersons, so called fortune seekers, as the interest in the systems increases. It could affect the reputation of the whole trade negatively, also the combined systems.

Solar heating was previously taboo when selling heating systems; by most costumers it was considered only being for the environmental fundamentalists. The last season, there is however a clear change in attitude; the environmental engagement is even experienced somewhat trendy. Solar heating is getting more accepted and most new installations of accumulator tanks are prepared for solar, although few costumers still choose to install collectors immediately. They seem to wait for technical and economical development that will increase the energy savings further. Still, most important, not only environmental enthusiasts install solar collectors, but also the common man.

Most combined systems consist of several components, but they are complete. There has however been lack of focus on the customers and their requests on a heating system so far. The costumer wants hot water and space heating, and is generally not interested in the technical or operational details of the system. The heating system should be easy to operate; “it should more or less be possible to forget about it. And not live to maintain it”.

The energy prices are governing the market for heating systems; traditionally the electricity prises in Sweden have been comparably low. On the other side, the increasing demand for pellet and brushwood has increased the pellet price, which can ruin the confidence in those systems in the long run. The pellet price has to stabilize to attract the costumer. A further obstacle is the rather high investment cost of the combined systems. As one retailer put it: “with the traditional economical way of thinking the systems are considered relatively expensive”. Instead of the traditional, pure economical arguments, new ones have to be lifted, for example that the boiler can be turned off during summer, and thereby reduce the work effort. Furthermore, both costumers and installers sometimes have problems motivating why to invest in an additional heating system when the pellet boiler can supply heat all year around. A possible solution could be to develop a concept, including both heating systems, but named and marketed as one. The costumer would in that case only have to decide on one heating system and not two, “It just happens to include solar and pellet”.

One of the main obstacles in the market development of combined systems is the installer corps. There is an experienced inertia connected to the installers. Many installers are originally plumbers, and “plumbers do not want to climb roofs”. And they are not really interested in those systems either, since

most installers have their professional area, where the installations are easier and faster and they make quicker money. The motivation, but also knowledge and training, is lacking.