• Policy

• European Union
  • European Energy Efficiency Fund
  • Framework Programme 7 Energy Work Programme
  • New Directive on RES
  • SET Plan
  • Energy Infrastructure Priorities
  • Buildings Performance
  • WEEE
  • RoHS
  • Third Energy package
  • REACH
  • EU Emissions Trading System
  • EU Recovery Plan
  • EU Energy Strategy 2011-2020
  • EU Energy Trends 2030
  • EREC 45% binding target
  • Energy Policy 2050
  • Raw Materials
  • Smart Grids
• National Policies
• PV Observatory
• International

Background:

The SET Plan was endorsed by Member States on 28 February 2008 aiming at setting up 6 Industrial Initiatives, including a Solar Europe Initiative concentrated on photovoltaics and concentrated solar power components. 

The Solar Europe Industry Initiative (SEII) was officially launched in June in Madrid during the high level SET-Plan Conference. EPIA and the European Photovoltaic Technology Platform (EU PV Technology Platform), jointly with the European Commission, are the coordinators of the SEII.

The objective of the SEII is to boost the development of the PV sector beyond “business-as-usual” in the areas of Research and Development, Demonstration and Deployment.

European Parliament backs dedicated EU budget line for solar energy

By Giorgia Concas, Policy Analyst

The European Parliament has proposed the creation of a dedicated “symbolic” budget of €1 million to be used to finance the European Solar Industry Initiative (CSP and PV).

The first-of-its-kind proposal, made on 26 October in the context of negotiations on the 2012 EU budget, shows that the European Parliament has understood the importance of investing in research and development, as well as the further development of solar energy.

The European Solar Industry Initiative (SEII) was launched in June 2010 to implement projects with the financial contribution of industry, Member States and the European Union. As for PV, projects would contribute to accelerating cost reduction and to providing solutions for high PV penetration in the electricity grid, with the final goal to satisfy with PV up to 12% of the European electricity demand by 2020.

However, so far the European Union has only co-financed PV projects matching the SEII priorities through grants from the 7th Research Framework Programme and it is meant to co-finance some demonstration projects through the NER 300 programme (using 300 million allowances of the New Entrants’ Reserve of the European Emissions Trading Scheme) within the next few years.

The SEII – PV part – should be financed with €9 billion in the period 2010-2020. Some 60% of the total budget should be committed by the industry, 30% by Member States and 10% by the European Union.

EPIA supports the European Renewable Energy Council (EREC) advocacy activities calling on the EU to increase the financing of research in renewable energies within the Multiannual Financial Framework 2014-2020.

For more information, click here and here.

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