Archives - Press releases

The Photovoltaic and the Battery Sectors recognize the key role of Energy Storage in the future development of photovoltaic power.

Brussels, 12 June 2008 - “Energy storage technology will become an important, valueadded component in photovoltaic (PV) systems in the future and will contribute to the continuous long term growth of PV”. That is the conclusion reached by a joint working group convened by EPIA (European Photovoltaic Industry Association) and EUROBAT (Association of European Storage Battery Manufacturers).

English version
Download the presentation of Dr. Winfried Hoffmann and Ray Kubis

Les professionnels du solaire au secours du marché français

Bruxelles, le 6 Juin 2008 : A la veille des discussions sur le projet de loi du Grenelle, l’Association Européenne de l’Industrie Photovoltaïque (EPIA) et l’ensemble des acteurs français du secteur, organisent le 27 Juin prochain à Aix les Bains (Savoie) un colloque National sur le Photovoltaïque, intitulé « Vers un Développement durable de la filière photovoltaïque en France ». A cette occasion plus de 900 professionnels français et européens du secteur sont attendus pour discuter des voies possibles pour permettre à la France de rattraper son retard vis-à-vis de ses voisins européens tels que l’Allemagne ou l’Espagne.

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Dossier de Presse (Français)

Solar Sector coming at the rescue of the French market

Brussels, the 6 June 2008 : On the verge of talks on the proposal of the « Grenelle law » (major French environmental law) the European Photovoltaic Industry Association and the actors of the French market, are organising a national photovoltaic symposium entitled « Towards a sustainable development of the photovoltaic sector in France », on 27 June in Aix les Bains, France. On this occasion over 900 participants from France and Europe are awaited to discuss possible ways to diminish the gap the French PV market is experiencing in relation to some of its European neighbours such as Germany or Spain.

English Version

The photovoltaic industry welcomes Turmes draft report on the future Directive on Renewable Energies

Brussels, 28 May 2008 - The draft report by Rapporteur Claude Turmes on the EU Directive on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources largely meets the European photovoltaic industry expectations, in particular with regard to the safeguarding of successful national support schemes (such as feed-in tariffs).

English Version

The first European Solar Days will be celebrated with over 4000 events throughout Europe

Brussels, 15/05/2008: The kick off of the first European Solar Days will be celebrated on Friday 16 May with special events in Brussels and throughout Europe.

The European Solar Days is the largest awareness raising campaigns in the area of re-newable energy ever held, with over 4000 events reaching more than 250.000 partici-pants throughout Europe, As an awareness raising campaign, the European Solar Days aim to promote the use of the sun as an energy source for all solar applications, Solar Thermal and Photovoltaic.

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1st European Solar Days to be celebrated on 16 and 17 May

Brussels, 10/04/2008: only 35 days to go until the first European Solar Days will be celebrated on May 16-17 with more than 4000 events in over 10 European countries.

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Photovoltaic solar energy to attract major investments over the coming years

Brussels, 25/02/2008: The 2nd International Conference on Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Investments organized by the European Photovoltaic Industry Association, attracted almost 300 participants from 34 countries on the 19th and 20th February to Frankfurt. The PV sector is the renewable energy business with the most significant investment activity today. More than 25% of the money invested in clean energy technologies is going to solar PV. The conference gave a perfect opportunity to review PV market trends and industry developments, to understand the specifics of solar PV technology and to explore the best instruments with which to finance both PV projects and companies.

English Version

European Photovoltaic Industry Association appoints New General Secretary

Brussels, 04/02/2008: EPIA, the European Photovoltaic Industry Association has appointed as of 1st February 2008, Adel El Gammal as its new General Secretary.

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1st European Solar Days: European Citizens to Celebrate Solar Energy

Brussels, 28/01/2008: On the 28th January 2008, the European Solar Days were officially launched at a press conference during the European Union Sustainable Energy week. The European Solar Days will be celebrated on May 16-17 with over 4000 events in 10 European countries.

English Version

European Commission proposal for a Directive on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources : A good starting point for the deployment of solar photovoltaic electricity by 2020

Brussels, 23th January - Today the European Commission presented its proposal for a Directive on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources, on the way to achieving the 20% renewable energy target set for 2020. The proposal is welcomed by the photovoltaic sector as it should foster a strong uptake of solar photovoltaic electricity. However, a number of clarifications and improvements are necessary to ensure its concrete implementation.

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La energía solar será la solución más barata para los picos de demanda en sólo 7 años

Brussels, 13th December - Greenpeace y la Asociación Europea de la Industria Fotovoltaica (EPIA) han publicado en español el informe Solar Generation 2007 A(1), que muestra un futuro brillante para la industria de la energía solar. El informe subraya el rápido crecimiento de esta industria y pronostica la capacidad de generar 300 mil millones de euros anualmente para 2030 y la creación de 6,5 millones de empleos.

Además, siguiendo la senda analizada en el informe, este sector conseguiría cubrir un 9,4% (2) de la demanda eléctrica mundial. El estudio destaca los beneficios de proporcionar energía a 2.900 millones de personas que viven en países empobrecidos, y proporciona un plan para lograr esos objetivos.
Spanish Version

Research in the PV sector: broad approach requested

Brussels, 27th November - The final EPIA Round-table in a cycle of 6 debates, running since May 2007, focused on research and development in the photovoltaic (PV) sector and its impact on market development. A few days after the publication of the SET Plan, EPIA took this opportunity to provide its comments on the new Commission communication, but also to highlight the potential impact of the PV Strategic Research Agenda and medium term research priorities.
English Version

Solar electricity: a part-solution in combating poverty and climate change in developing countries

Brussels, 8th November 2007 – The 5th EPIA Round-table in a cycle of 6 debates, running until December 2007, focused on the EU development policy and how photovoltaic energy can provide cost competitive, tailor made and sustainable technological solutions for rural electrification. 1,6 billion people have no access to electricity in developing countries. With adapted tools within the EU development policy, photovoltaic electricity could contribute rapidly to reduce this figure.
English Version

The Photovoltaic sector proposes a voluntary take-back system for waste

Brussels, 9th October - The 4th EPIA Round-table in a cycle of 6 debates, running until December 2007, focused on waste and recycling in the photovoltaic sector. The round table event highlighted the PV sector’s initiative to establish a voluntary take-back system for photovoltaic products and at the same time urged the Commission not to include photovoltaic in the WEEE directive, currently under revision.
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EREC Position Paper
on the Renewable Energy Framework Directive.

Amsterdam/Brussels, 01th October - The 20% target can be met with strong legislation coming soon. The European Renewable Energy Council takes the opportunity of the Amsterdam Forum to present its position paper on the future Renewable Energy Framework Directive. One day before the Commission invites stakeholders to discuss the issue, EREC outlines the industry’s needs and concerns.
English Version

Access to the grid:
A precondition for the solar photovoltaic market to take-off
Brussels, 13th September - The 3rd EPIA Round-table in a cycle of 7 debates, running until December 2007, raised the issue of access to the grid for photovoltaic (PV) applications. Although existing EU legislation gives priority access to the grid for renewable energies, Germany is the only Member State that provides effective grid connection. The debate’s participants emphasised the need for clarification of the gridaccess rules and harmonisation of grid-connection rules in the Commissions upcoming proposal.
English Version

Photovoltaic Industry: towards maturity
Milan, 6th September - The 4th European Photovoltaic Industry Forum, organized by EPIA, held in the frame of the 22nd EU PVSEC1 in Milan gathered over 800 participants from over 90 countries. The main concern debated on this new edition was how the industry can reach maturity. Reaching competitiveness by both technological developments and mass production in a sustainable manner is the key challenge which the sector is facing today. Maturity and sustainability are the common goals pursued by both the research and the industry community in the photovoltaic (PV) sector.
English Version

World’s future is bright with Solar Electricity
Milan, September 4th, 2007 - Report finds photovoltaic solar electricity will become cost competitive during the next seven years, and be worth over € 300 billion a year by 2030. A report issued jointly today by Greenpeace and the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA), forecasts a bright future for the solar power industry. “Solar Generation 2007”(1) outlines the industry’s steep growth forecasting a potential generate €300 billion annually, by 2030, creating 6.5 million jobs and meeting 9.4% (2) of the world’s electricity demand. It highlights benefits to provide power to 2.9 billion people living in developing countries. The study provides a blueprint for achieving these goals.
English Version

European wide consensus reached of photovoltaic energy generation from long term operation of PV modules
In a recent international inter-comparison within the European Commissions FP6 Integrated Project PERFORMANCE IP eight separate energy prediction methods developed independently across European Universities and Research Centres have shown agreement on the estimated energy generation of five different photovoltaic (PV) modules technologies.
English Version

Feed-in tariffs make solar photovoltaic electricity more and more competitive
The 2nd EPIA Round-table in a cycle of 7 debates, running until December 2007, opened up the debate on the future of support mechanisms for renewable energies and in particular solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity. The EPIA debate stressed that correctly designed Feed-in tariffs are needed to promote PV electricity, but warned that EU harmonisation could give negative effects.
English Version

Solar Photovoltaic Electricity in Portugal: the sector waiting for clear signs from the government
Portugal is the sunniest country of Europe but remains amongst the last ones in developing solar photovoltaic electricity. The 300 participants of the European conference “Boosting Solar Electricity in Portugal” held today in Lisbon at the Fórum Tecnológico commonly agreed that the Portuguese government should send clear messages to the sector.
English Version

The new Framework Directive on Renewable Energy must go beyond existing legislation and not move backwards
In its 1st Round Table of a cycle of 7 debates which will run from May until December 2007,  the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) presented its views on the new Energy Package which was presented by the European Commission in January 2007. EPIA stressed that the future Framework Directive on Renewable Energy should include mandatory sector specific targets (electricity, cooling & heating and transport) at national level for renewables, and ensure that Member States respect these targets.
English Version

Winfried Hoffmann moves from SCHOTT Solar to Applied Materials
Alzenau, February 7, 2007: With effect from April 2, 2007, Dr Winfried Hoffmann, most recently Member of the Management Committee of the Alzenau-based SCHOTT Solar GmbH, will move to the Management Board of Applied Materials GmbH & Co. KG, which is also located in Alzenau.
English Version

European Commission Energy Policy could have a counter-productive effect on the development of renewable energies
Brussels, 11 January 2007: The new Energy Policy for Europe presented yesterday by the European Commission proposes a binding 20% target of renewable energies in primary energy by 2020. This apparently positive goal will, however, create increased confusion in the renewable energy sector and might undermine the existing successful legislation which has permitted a strong development of renewable energy sources.
English Version

Photovoltaic industry prepares to steady growth
Brussels, 22 December 2006: During its 2006 end-of-year gathering on 21 December, the EPIA members (European Photovoltaic Industry Association) assessed short-term projections (2010) of solar electricity markets in Europe and globally as well as required up-scale of production capacities to answer an expected growing demand. In the short term, with favourable policy conditions, an average increase of the global photovoltaic market of 37% until 2010 is expected.

In 2010, EPIA estimates that the global annual market of solar electricity will be close to 5,6 GWp. The photovoltaic industry is going to remain for some years one of the most dynamic economic sectors globally.
English Version

Solar power ready to dominate the consumer energy market
Dresden, 6 September 2006: Solar power can deliver electricity to more than 2 billion people, provide over 2 million jobs with an annual investment of 113 billion Euros by 2025, reveals a joint report, ‘SolarGeneration’, released today by Greenpeace International and the European Photovoltaic Industry Association. The market report also explains that 350 million tonnes of CO2 emissions would be cut - the equivalent amount from 140 coal power stations and by 2040, solar electricity could provide over 16% of the global demand.
English Version

“Belgian Solar electricity organisations request a national Strategic PV Plan”
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