Continuing the overview
on the Industry Initiatives included in the European Strategic Energy
Technology Plan (SET-Plan), this post focuses on the use of solar
energy through photovoltaic technology for the production of
electricity, and most particularly on the 2010-2012 implementation
plan for the Solar Industry Initiative.
The implementation plan
describes the immediate actions needed to achieve the goals set
forward for 2020 in the European Commission's Photovoltaic Roadmap,
namely the R&D steps required to enable rapid large-scale
deployment of photovoltaics at minimum cost and maximum benefit for society.
The implementation plan
identifies two major initiatives to enable the large-scale deployment
of photovoltaics:
- Reducing photovoltaic electricity generation costs through technology progress, experience and economies of scale;
- Integrating photovoltaic electricity into the European Grid.
The R&D actions for
Cost Reduction will focus on improving manufacturability, materials
development, and enhancing performance. R&D will also be
conducted to advance grid integration, large-scale grid integration
analysis, and solar resources prediction and monitoring. The R&D
actions will be followed by demonstration projects to enable the
replication and large scale implementation of the results. These
projects will include the large integration of PV in urban areas,
grid integration of distributed photovoltaic power generation, and last scale
demonstration of new concepts and technologies.
Besides the efforts of
the photovoltaic sector, the success of the Solar Energy Industry Initiative
will also depend on the Electricity Grid Initiative, as well as on
the development of other technologies, such as electricity storage,
electrical vehicles, demand side management and smart grids.
Although not included
in the European Industrial Initiative, the need for an education and
training program has been pointed as a requirement to avoid a
shortage of qualified professionals, such as project engineers and
installers, and to keep the leadership of the European industry. The
importance of awareness and communication activities has also been
recognized for the dissemination of the benefits of photovoltaics near the
general public and important stakeholders, including policy-makers,
utilities, architects, and the construction sector.
Source: Solar Energy
Industry Initiative 2010-2012 implementation plan.
