A total of 14 million square metres (150 million square feet) of solar panels for water heaters were operating in Europe at the end of last year, a rise of 18 percent or 1.9 million square metres over 2004.

Germany is by far the biggest market, accounting for 5.6 million square metres, although France saw the biggest year-on-year gain -- an increase of 134 percent in 2005 over 2004.

Solar heaters are tanks, usually placed on roofs, that use solar energy to heat pipes that contain water or a convective fluid whose heat is then transferred to water.

The heated water is used for baths, showers or swimming pools.

The surge in European sales coincided with a sharp rise last year in prices for fossil fuels, coupled to a boost in tax incentives in many countries for energy conservation.

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