Industrial strategy

Industrial
strategy

Europe needs an overarching strategy for the solar power sector. With several solar stakeholders such as European researchers, production equipment suppliers, raw and processing materials companies, inverter manufacturers, and many others, being world leaders in their fields, we need an industrial strategy to make sure that Europe continues to lead on solar.

For this reason, SolarPower Europe is pioneering an industrial competitiveness strategy for solar in Europe. After twelve months of intensive engagement, in February 2017 the European Commission launched the “Clean Energy Industrial Forum”, with a dedicated “Renewable” branch under the patronage of Commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete.

The Clean Energy Industrial Forum represents a major achievement for SolarPower Europe, but more importantly, represents a real opportunity for an industrial policy to be developed for solar in Europe.

SolarPower Europe's industrial strategy objectives
and 2030 vision

1. Jobs and general value added (GVA) should be dramatically increased in the solar sector by 2030: Europe should target 300,000 solar jobs by 2030 compared to 81,000 Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs) in 2016.

2. The EU should boost EU domestic demand for solar so at least 20% of Europe’s electricity demand is powered by solar energy by 2030. It will drive the competitiveness of the EU PV supply chain, and therefore job creation and value creation in Europe:

• Set ambitious targets for the deployment of rooftop installations in Europe, to reach at least 30 million solar roofs by 2030.
• Accelerate the deployment of utility-scale solar in Europe.
• Boost the market uptake of innovative solar technologies developed in Europe such as Building-Integrated PV and floating solar.
• Explore the contribution of solar energy beyond the power sector, through solar-based sector coupling.

3. To secure a globally competitive PV supply chain in Europe, policymakers should provide an attractive business environment, and develop top runner investment programs for large-scale manufacturing facilities in cutting-edge solar technologies.

4. The European Union should reopen negotiations on the Environmental Goods Agreement and work with international partners to eliminate trade barriers on green goods and support European solar companies in accessing new markets.

Join Solar Power Europe’s Industrial Competitiveness Task Force

The Industrial Competitiveness Task Force is working to ensure that the EU has global leadership on the existing and next generation of solar technologies, manufacturing and services.

If you want to join this Task Force, contact Aurélie Beauvais.

Objectives:

Develop policy recommendations for a European Solar Industrial Competitiveness Strategy
Contribute to all three pillars of the European Commission’s Clean Energy Industrial Forum (renewables, batteries, and buildings), in close cooperation with EU policymakers
Ensure high-level solar CEO representation at the renewables high-level meeting under the patronage of Commissioner Arias Cañete
Organise joint workshops and stakeholder sessions to discuss specific issues such as quality control and financing requirements for solar industries

"Europe is a solar industry leader. The European solar industry is a front runner in R&D and manufacturing of equipment, inverters, raw and processing materials. Now is the moment to create a strong industrial basis for our sector for generations to come."

Christian Westermeier - Wacker Chemie

Industrial Competitiveness Task Force Leader

In pictures:

SolarPower Europe's 4th High-Level Industry Forum

4th High-Level Industry Forum

'An industrial strategy for solar in europe' paper

This paper from the Industrial Competitiveness Task Force details SolarPower Europe’s key asks and recommendations to further support the growth of the European solar industry and outlines our key targets for a practical solar supply side policy.

Resources

Press Releases