When revising the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II), SolarPower Europe asked the European Commission to increase the overall EU target for renewable energies so that by 2030 at least 45% of the final energy demand comes from renewable energies.
Strengthening the EU’s renewable energy ambitions is essential to achieving the climate and energy goals of the European Green Deal. Achieving a renewable energy level of at least 45% would put the EU on a cost-effective path to achieving climate neutrality by 2050 and is in line with the 1.5 ° C temperature limit of the Paris Agreement, SolarPower Europe said on February 10.
CEO of SolarPower Europe Walburga Hemetsberger noted that the EU and its member states need to increase renewable energy ambitions by 2030 to reach the Commission President Ursula Von der LeyenBold vision of global climate leadership. “As the cheapest, most versatile, most scalable and most innovative technology for renewable energies, solar is an important European driver of this energy transition. This increase in ambitions must go hand in hand with a European solar initiative to promote the use of solar throughout the EU, ”said Hemetsberger.
A study by SolarPower Europe and LUT University from April 2020, “100% Renewable Europe”, shows that such an increase is not only feasible, but that solar could provide most of the clean energy as it has become the cheapest energy source in history. This is in line with statements made by the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) Fatih Birolwho announced in September 2020 that solar growth will be exponential over the next five years and solar will be the largest installed capacity in Europe by 2025.
SolarPower Europe estimates that total installed solar capacity should reach at least 700 GW by 2030 in order to stay on the path of a decarbonised European energy system. This is more than double what the Member States’ NECPs currently provide. Since the installed capacity is currently 137 GW, 563 GW must be made available in order to reach the 700 GW level in the next decade.
Deputy CEO and Policy Director of SolarPower Europe Aurelie Beauvais The Fit for 55 package is a unique opportunity to significantly strengthen the position of the solar sector at the core of the European Green Deal. “A key factor in this goal will be renewable hydrogen, which can play a strategic role in decarbonising the entire energy system. The creation of additional jobs in the renewable industry as a result of the continued use of renewable hydrogen to the extent necessary to achieve this vision will support the EU’s industrial leadership in future-proof clean energy technologies, ”she said.
Beauvais noted that in order to achieve this goal, and while direct electrification remains the most cost-effective solution to emissions reduction over the next decade, it is important to make a solid assessment of the real needs for renewable hydrogen in the short and middle ages. Term. “Avoiding lock-in effects must be a priority. For this reason, we urge the Commission to focus market drawing policy exclusively on renewable hydrogen solutions,” she said.
The European Commission launched these consultations ahead of the launch of the Fit for 55 package in June. This legislative package will contain proposals aimed at increasing the EU’s climate ambitions for 2030 from the current 40% of greenhouse gas emissions to at least 55%.
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