This article will discuss solar energy in the European Union and investigate the ambitions, strategies, and challenges behind the deployment of solar power. It will also shed light on the key players and the projects of interest. Solar energy is an indirect way to reduce carbon emissions, and it will be crucial in the European Union’s quest to attain net zero by 2050.
Ambition & Strategy
On 18 May 2022, under the Renewable Energy Power European Union plan, the European Commission launched the EU Solar Strategy to build 320 Gigawatt of solar capacity by 2025 and 600 Gigawatt by 2030. The solar rooftop initiative proposes a legislative mandate, advocating for solar panels on all new public, commercial, and residential buildings.
On 11 October 2022, the European Commission endorsed the creation of a Solar Photovoltaic Industry Alliance that brings together firms, research institutes, consumer associations, non-governmental organisations and stakeholders interested in the solar photovoltaic industry. About two months later, on 9 December 2022, the
European Commission launched the Solar Photovoltaic Industry Alliance. The objective is to manufacture 30 Gigawatts of solar power by 2025, generating €60 billion in Gross Domestic Product and creating more than 400,000 jobs.
Key Initiatives
- European Solar Rooftop Initiative aims to use the potential of roofs by mandating the installation of solar panels across the upcoming public, commercial and residential buildings. Through this, about 50 Gigawatt of solar panels would be laid out by 2025.
- EU large-scale skills partnership intends to address the skills gap and promote the development of skilled workers across the region through re-skilling measures and enhance cooperation between industry, training
providers and regional authorities. - EU Solar Photovoltaic Industry Alliance is a forum built to bring together industrial actors, research institutes, consumer associations, and other stakeholders to enhance manufacturing capacity across the continent and
reduce dependence on imports.
Key Players
- Victron Energy, headquartered in the Netherlands, makes custom-ordered solar panel designs.
- Photowatt originated in France and manufactures solar components such as low-carbon ingots and silicon wafers.
- Hanwa Q cells, originated in South Korea, make solar energy equipment from household energy supplies to industry-level solar solutions.
- BMC Solutions, which originated in Spain, provides investment opportunities in solar and set up solar parks.
- REC Group, based in Norway, manufactures solar panels for consumers and energy solutions for industries.
Challenges
- The foremost challenge is that the installation cost of solar panels is high, an impediment to the adoption of solar power in the short term.
- The second challenge is that the process for getting permits tends to be lengthy and affects the organisation’s ability to boost solar power across the continent.
- The third obstacle revolves around the low conversion rate, resulting in an abundance of sunlight hitting the solar panels going to waste, necessitating the urgent need to address energy storage capacity.
- The fourth challenge is that the solar energy sector suffers from a lack of skilled workers. Skilled training is needed to address the issue.
Conclusion
In this piece, I have talked about the European Union’s ambition and strategy, and three initiatives launched to promote solar power across the region. The top five firms are responsible for shoring up solar power in the country. I have also mentioned the top three challenges facing the lone supranational organization in the world. Finally, the key lesson learnt is that significant efforts are necessary for the European Union to reach net zero by 2050, and the steps taken by the European Union government are in the right direction but uncertain how long it will take the organisation to change its energy matrix to renewable energy sources.
End Notes
- https://www.eea.europa.eu/policy-documents/ec-2020-2050-long-term-strategy#:~:text=The%20EU%20aims%20to%20be,action%20under%20the%20Paris%20Agreement%20.
- https://commission.europa.eu/news/commission-kicks-work-european-solar-photovoltaic-industry-alliance-2022-10-11_en
- https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_22_3131
- https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/renewable-energy/solar-energy_en#:~:text=The%20Commission%20endorsed%20the%20creation,almost%20600%20GW%20by%202030.
- https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2022/733612/EPRS_BRI(2022)733612_EN.pdf
- https://eeb.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Top-10-problems-for-renewable-energy-in-Europe.pdf
- https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/renewable-energy/solar-energy_en
- https://www.solarpowereurope.org/advocacy/eu-solar-strategy
- https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy/news/eu-commission-launches-industry-alliance-for-made-in-europe-solar-pv/
- https://www.solarforindia.com/top-10-leading-solar-power-companies-in-europe/
