New policy for solar photovoltaic panels

Will solar power become a mainstream energy system?

According to the European Commission, solar energy has a potential to become part of the mainstream energy system by providing power and heat to households and industry. The strategy puts forward a target of over 320 GW of newly installed solar photovoltaic capacity by 2025, and almost 600 GW by 2030.

How much solar energy will be installed in 2021?

By the end of 2021, 843 GW were installed worldwide, more than double the capacity installed just four years earlier 47. And yet, further acceleration in solar energy deployment and integration is still required to achieve the objectives enshrined in the Paris Agreement.

When will the European Solar charter be implemented?

One year following the signature of the Charter, the Commission will review the implementation of the adopted commitments. The European Solar Charter, signed on 15 April 2024, sets out a series of voluntary actions to be undertaken to support the EU photovoltaic sector.

How does the EU support the European solar PV manufacturing sector?

Over the last years, the EU has taken initiatives to strengthen its support to the European solar PV manufacturing sector, which includes several globally competitive companies in several steps of the value chain.

How many solar panels are there in the EU in 2021?

According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), in 2021 the estimated installed solar PV capacity in the EU was over 158 GW, compared with over 306 GW in China and almost 94 GW in the US. China is currently the world's leader in solar energy production.

Are solar panels a risk to the EU?

The EU is fully dependent on China for solar panels and at least two conventional risks are associated with this. The first is the economic risk that China might in the future make use of its predominant position in global solar PV manufacturing to distort the market and artificially obtain additional economic rents.