Pedro Dias appointed new Secretary General for ESTIF

April 2, 2014 - PRLog -- Brussels, 1 April 2014 – The ESTIF Board of Directors appoints Pedro Dias as Secretary General of the European Solar Thermal Industry Federation.

Pedro, who joined ESTIF back in 2008, first as Operations Manager and later as Deputy Secretary General, will be taking over as ESTIF Secretary General with effect from 1 April 2014. A Portuguese national, Pedro holds a management degree from IPVC in Portugal, and has a large experience in both the non-governmental and private sectors, having previously worked in the heating sector, more specifically in gas retail and commercialisation of heating equipment. At ESTIF, he combines his professional experience and his passion for renewable energy.

Commenting on the appointment, ESTIF President, Robin Welling, said “We are delighted that Pedro has accepted to take on the mantle of ESTIF Secretary General at a turning point for our sector”.  He added “This is a time when we must focus all our energy in raising decision makers’ awareness about the potential of the solar thermal contribution towards energy independence and security in Europe”.

On taking up his new position, Pedro stressed the growing importance of ESTIF’s mission to increase the use of solar thermal energy for heating and cooling generation in Europe: “We are at a crucial moment in designing our energy system for the future, a system that cannot be imposed on citizens, but should rather be built with their active involvement.” He added: “Solar thermal, by providing heating & cooling solutions for the residential, commercial and industrial needs, is an essential component of any future sustainable, affordable and competitive energy system, where consumers become producers and push for diverse solutions for their energy needs, be it heating and cooling, electricity or transport”.