European momentum for photovoltaics
At a time when the question of energy is more than ever at the heart of national sovereignty issues, we are delighted that the European Union has decided to react forcefully through the existing framework offered by the Green Deal.
The #RePowerEU plan presented by the European Commission gives a place of honor to renewable energies, putting solar energy back in the spotlight. The Commission sets the goal of “more than 320 GW of solar photovoltaic energy by 2025, more than double the current level” and 600 GW in 2030.
We share this ambition, but we believe that it must be accompanied by a strategy for dealing with international competition in the sector. It would be counterproductive to shift our energy dependence from Russia to China, the leading supplier of solar panels, and the move from hydrocarbons to metals will require a clear and immediate strategy, lest we risk facing a shortage before the end of the decade.
The launch last Friday of the “Important Project of Common European Interest” (#IPCEI) for PV to mobilize Member States to support the European PV industry and its international competitiveness is a step in the right direction.
We also welcome the proposed regulation to require Member States to install solar panels on all “public and commercial buildings with a floor area of more than 250 m2” and on all new residential buildings by 2030.
These positions taken by the EU are part of a context that is generally favorable to the sector:
- The Green Deal aiming for carbon neutrality for Europe by 2050
- The European Solar Initiative (ESI) with the objective of producing 20 GW of PV in Europe by 2025
- The inclusion of PV in the list of industries “at risk of strategic dependence”
There is still a long way to go, but all these initiatives validate the vision we have always had for the evolution of the sector and our goal of producing 20 GW of photovoltaic panels by 2030 – integrating the entire value chain, from ingot to module, wafer to cell.