European Commission

A lack of clear policy support, raw material dependency, and higher production costs are inhibiting the localization of European solar manufacturing, despite strong demand.

Compared to the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) signed by Joe Biden’s administration in the US, the EU’s approach to establishing solar manufacturing appears slow and lacking in clarity. In this blog post, I will explore the EU’s renewable energy policy, specifically its emphasis on solar manufacturing, and evaluate whether Brussels is doing enough to establish a European solar supply chain.

The European solar landscape changed forever in 2022 and managing the supply chain, grid, and permitting constraints will be key to a solar-dominated energy future for the continent.

A flurry of clean energy announcements in the European Union this year bodes well for the expansion of renewables but there will be a race against time to get key legislation adopted before next summer’s European elections.

The European Commission says it is unnecessary and unadvisable to prolong the emergency measures for the energy market that were adopted at the end of 2022. This means that the €0.18 ($0.19)/kWh price cap on solar and other renewables will no longer apply in most member states from June 30.

Researchers associated with the European Commission have developed a new methodology to calculate the carbon footprint of PV modules for use in the context of the European Union’s ecodesign regulations.

The European Commission has opened a call for evidence on its plan to accelerate heat pump roll-out across the European Union. It is asking citizens and businesses for feedback on four strands of action, focusing on financing, legislation, skills, research and innovation. The call for feedback is open until May 26.

According to Aurora Energy Research, Europe is on track to install at least 95 GW of grid-scale battery energy storage systems by 2050, up from 5 GW of installed capacity today, and representing more than €70 billion ($76.9 billion) of investment.

The Croatian government has allocated €60 million ($65.6 million) in subsidies for businesses to install 80 MW of renewables and 20 MWh of batteries.

While few can doubt the emission-reduction might of solar; forced- and child labor in clean power supply chains is becoming a hot issue, which is why the EU is mulling a ban on goods proven to have traces of such labor practices. Diana Zadorozhna, a partner at renewables consultancy Everoze, looks at what companies can do to prepare for forced-labor legislation.