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Optimistic mood for solar in Europe

“Our goal is to be the leader for solar and renewables again worldwide”, the Vice President of the European Commission Maros Sefcovic said yesterday at the opening of the SolarPower Summit in Brussels. He underlined the strategic importance of renewables, energy storage and e-mobility also for the European economy and industry.

More solar with lower costs

The massive decline of costs, especially of solar make it possible to reach a renewable share of 30 percent in the European energy mix until 2030 with lower costs than the 27 percent share planned before by the Commission, he said. Though he did not give a clear answer to the claim of SolarPower Europe to at least 35 percent renewables until 2030 in Europe. Miguel Arias Canete, EU-Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy though made hints to approach that 35 percent target. “I see movement in his position”, Christian Westermeier, President of SolarPower Europe told pv Europe. 120,000 additional solar jobs could be created by a 35 percent renewables goal until 2030.

Eleven gigawatts for 2018

“If the trade barriers for solar panels and cells will phase out we will see another push for the market”, James Watson, CEO SolarPower Europe said. Josefine Berg, Senior Analyst at IHS Markit also underlined the importance of the availability of world market price panels for a even stronger growth of the European PV market than forecasted. Her outlook for total Europe is 11 GW, compared to 8,6 GW in 2017. The main markets will be France, Spain, Netherlands, Germany and Turkey, with a total of around 50 GW for the next five years.

Good balance between ground mount and rooftops

Ground  mount systems and rooftops will be pretty much balanced, with around 60 to 40 percent, according to HIS. And also countries like Turkey, that sticked so much pretty much only to larger ground mount installations will also develop the rooftop sector, as Faruk Telemcioglu, General Secretary of Gunder said. “We expect a new legislation for solar rooftops until the end of 2018 and expect over ten gigawatts for the market segment within the next years”, he said. Though bureaucracy and too complicated or hindering regulation is still is a barrier for PV, not only in Turkey. (HCN)

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More useful information:

http://www.pveurope.eu/News/Markets-Money/Sunny-renaissance-in-Europe

https://www.pveurope.eu/solar-modules/high-interest-combination-e-mobility-and-pv