In 2001, AIGUASOL headed up POSHIP, a European project falling under the 5th Framework Program of the Directorate General for Transport and Energy (DG TREN) of the European Commission.

POSHIP was a study of the potential application of solar heat in industrial processes in the Iberian Peninsula. Under the project, a representative sample of industries in Spain and Portugal were analyzed, with case studies carried out on solar systems for industries with particularly favorable conditions.

In an initial phase, the study analyzed various industrial sectors, identified their processes and assessed the potential application of solar heat. In a second phase, it reviewed the existing technology in the market and compared their performance for industrial processes. After that, design considerations and economic evaluation systems in real cases were presented and aspects of project financing were discussed.

The study resulted in the potential for installation of more than 25,000 m2 of solar thermal collectors in industrial plans and laid the foundation for work by the European scientific community in solar heat for industrial process.