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Solar power in the European Union

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Solar power consists of photovoltaics (PV) and solar thermal energy in the European Union (EU).

Solar power is growing in every EU country.

In 2010, the €2.6 billion European solar heating sectors consisted of small and medium-sized businesses, generated 17.3 terawatt-hours (TWh) of energy, employed 33,500 workers, and created one new job for every 80 kW of added capacity.

Solar energy, the fastest-growing energy source in the EU, saw an 82% cost reduction between 2010 and 2020. Solar capacity expanded from 164.19 GW in 2021 to an estimated 259.99 GW by 2023.

In 2022, four EU member states—Spain, Germany, Poland, and the Netherlands—ranked among the top 10 globally for additional solar capacity installed in the preceding year.

During 2023, an additional 55.9 gigawatts (GW) of photovoltaics systems were connected to the grid in the European Union, taking cumulative capacity to 263 GW. 2023 also saw a record high 9.1% of EU electricity generation coming from solar power.

EU solar energy strategy

The EU's solar energy capacity increased significantly from 164.19 GW in 2021 to 259.99 GW by 2023, with employment in the sector growing from 466,000 workers in 2021 to 648,100 by the end of 2022, representing a 39% increase. These developments are part of the REPowerEU plan, which targets over 320 GW of solar photovoltaic capacity by 2025 and nearly 600 GW by 2030. The growth in jobs suggests the possibility of exceeding 1 million solar workers by 2025, ahead of previous estimates for 2030.

In support of its solar energy strategy, the EU has implemented three key initiatives. Firstly, the European Solar Rooftops Initiative aims to increase solar installations on buildings. Secondly, the EU Large-Scale Skills Partnership targets the skills gap in the renewable sector. Lastly, the EU Solar PV Industry Alliance focuses on enhancing solar manufacturing capacity within the EU.

Photovoltaic solar power

2014

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In 2012, photovoltaic systems with a total capacity of 17.2 gigawatt (GW) were connected to the grid in Europe, less than in 2011, when 22.4 GW had been installed. In terms of total installed capacity, according to EPIA's 2012-report, Europe still led the way with more than 70 GW, or 69% of worldwide capacity, producing 85 TWh of electricity annually. This energy volume is sufficient to power the supply needs of over 20 million households.

In 2011, solar photovoltaic continued its growth trend and Italy was the top market for the year, with 9.3 GW connected, followed by Germany (7.5 GW). These two markets were followed by France (1.7 GW) and the United Kingdom (784 MW). In terms of cumulative capacity, Germany with more than 24 GW, is the leading country in Europe, followed by Italy, with more than 12 GW. PV is now a significant part of Europe's electricity mix, producing 2% of the demand in the EU and roughly 4% of peak demand.

In 2011 the EU's solar electricity production is evaluated as ca 44.8 TWh in 2011 with 51.4 GW installed capacity, up 98% on 2010. In 2011 in the EU new installations were 21.5 GW. The solar power share in 2011 was around 3.6% in Italy, 3.1% in Germany and 2.6% in Spain. EuroObserver expects the total installation to reach at least 120 GW in 2020. The national strategies are equivalent to 84 GW solar capacity in 2020 which may underestimate the actual development taking place. For example, according to AGEE-Stat (the Ministry of Environment's Working Group on Renewable Energy Statistics), Germany connected solar capacity 7.5 GWp in 2011, twice the 3.5 GWp target. EU accounted for 74% of all newly connected capacity in 2011. According to Photon International magazine the worldwide solar cell production capacity was 12.5 GW in 2009 and 37 GW in 2011. In 2012, production capacities are set to rise to 69 GW, same as the total installed capacity worldwide at the end of 2011.

Denmark reached its governmental goal of achieving 200 MW of photovoltaic capacity by 2020 already in 2012, eight years in advance. At that time Danish energy sector players estimated that this development would result in 1000 MW by 2020. Croatia as the newest member of the EU has a less than enthusiastic embrace of solar power due to a number of reasons. However, in past few years, Croatian solar energy has seen a dramatic increase in the overall output. From 32.4 MWh in 2012, to an additional 46,2 MWh in 2013 with another 108 MWh awaiting to be connected to the national grid and additional power plants under construction with total energy output exceeding 200 MWh. Croatian national renewable energy strategy is to increase participating share of renewable in overall energy mix from current 15.8% (end of 2012) to around 25% by 2020 with solar generating at least 500 MWh.

PV in the European Union (MWpeak)#Country2024202320222021202020192018201720162015201420132012201120102009EU EU + UK (GWp)**304.93****251.73****203.26****162.43****136.24****131.02****114.81****106.69****101.11****95.02****86.85****80.33****68.64****51.36****29.33****15.86**
1GER Germany89,94381,73767,47760,03653,66948,91245,15642,29140,67739,22237,89836,70832,69824,87517,3709,959
2ESP Spain38,58728,71223,31113,71510,1368,8074,7644,7234,7134,7044,6974,6904,5164,2143,8083,438
3ITA Italy36,01329,78924,55522,59421,65020,86520,10819,68219,28318,90118,59418,18516,36112,7643,4781,157
4NED Netherlands24,04823,90419,60014,91111,1087,2264,6082,9112,1351,5261,0076503211189768
5FRA France21,52820,54217,34114,60312,05611,91710,7298,6107,7027,1386,0345,2774,0272,8311,054335
6POL Poland20,19915,80912,1707,4163,9551,5395622871871082723.41.821
7BEL Belgium9,7528,5496,7566,0125,5734,6374,0003,6213,3293,1323,0152,9022,6491,812787574
8GRE Greece9,2697,0305,4304,2773,2882,8342,6522,6062,6042,6042,5962,5791,54363120555
9AUT Austria8,4816,8323,7922,7832,0431,7021,4551,2691,09693778562642117310353
10HUN Hungary7,6995,8354,2352,9682,1311,40072834423517289353.74.120.7
11POR Portugal5,8083,8762,6461,6461,100901667579513477415296228143131102
12SWE Sweden4,9633,4882,3881,6061,10771442824415310460432318109
13ROU Romania4,6881,9171,8091,3941,3831,3981,3861,3741,3721,3261,293761492.920.6
14CZE Czech4,1592,4992,4202,2462,1722,1112,0812,0752,0682,0752,0672,0642,0221,9591,953463
15DEN Denmark3,9453,5293,0701,7041,3041,0809989068517826075713911675
16BUL Bulgaria3,9082,9371,7371,2751,1001,0441,0331,0311,0301,0281,0291,019933132176
17LTU Lithuania2,5671,1655722551641038274706969686.10.10.1
18Ireland Ireland1,340738289228152965329115310.70.70.60.6
19EST Estonia1,3266905203952081213215107320.20.2
20SLO Slovenia1,3091,03462646137027824724723323822318721790369
21FIN Finland1,20390066442531822214082391711111111108
22SVK Slovakia8676315495375354904725285335335335335174881440.2
23CRO Croatia8604612221381098568605648331920161612
24CYP Cyprus72460642431522915111811084766435171063
25LUX Luxembourg5234323172771871601311281221161109576302726
26LAT Latvia4663531137532111.51.51.51.51.5
27MLT Malta23323122220518815113211294755529181122
UK United Kingdom17,60316,800---13,22413,05912,76011,9149,6015,5282,9371,6571,0147530
PV in watts per capita#Country202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011EU EU**466.5****354.2****334.5****254.5****223.6****208.3****197.8****186.1****171.5****155.8****136.3****102.2**
1NED Netherlands1081.5815.4636.9400.6250.3160.9120.183.165.439.619.17.1
2GER Germany794.2706.2645.4590.4546.9512.0503.1489.8474.1447.2399.5304.3
3BEL Belgium590.3544.7483.0395.5373.2338.4302.8286.7277.2267.3240.0165.5
4GRE Greece532.9371.0307.3260.5246.9242.2241.4241.7236.8233.7136.755.8
5CYP Cyprus508.4352.7256.7146.9130.9123.164.782.075.540.219.912.5
6LUX Luxembourg488.4435.3296.6229.0222.6215.0212.8222.0200.1186.289.959.9
7ITA Italy425.5373.1364.2345.7332.4325.0317.7311.3303.5295.1269.0210.5
8DEN Denmark421.8273.5223.6186.0173.3158.3150.4138.3106.994.870.23.0
9EST Estonia396.6311.3156.480.80.00.07.73.10.10.10.10.1
10AUT Austria392.4314.5229.1187.5162.4142.3123.9108.990.681.749.920.7
11MLT Malta387.9369.9364.8305.1276.0247.9188.8170.5127.558.745.027.4
12ESP Spain381.2276.5214.0196.7101.8109.8103.4106.0102.9100.797.891.3
13HUN Hungary309.9219.0218.6130.777.137.629.314.03.91.60.40.4
14POL Poland303.3202.7104.434.712.87.15.22.030.60.10.10.0
15BUL Bulgaria301.3171.5158.6152.1146.9144.8144.3141.7140.8139.9127.417.7
16SLO Slovenia299.2174.0176.0106.7123.9124.9125.5124.8124.2123.8105.744.1
17FRA France256.1218.5178.4157.9141.4120.5107.399.187.671.661.643.5
18SWE Sweden248.5154.6106.968.241.923.115.613.38.24.52.52.0
19CZE Czech246.2198.0203.0197.2193.0192.9194.0197.7196.1196.1192.5186.0
20POR Portugal243.6160.0106.888.365.255.245.444.340.226.821.713.5
21LTU Lithuania200.691.258.729.726.328.827.725.023.222.92.00.0
22FIN Finland106.473.057.539.022.711.13.62.71.92.12.12.1
23SVK Slovakia98.998.098.086.697.698.1100.5109.0109.099.395.789.8
24ROU Romania74.272.871.871.470.570.069.466.764.851.10.30.1
25CRO Croatia47.226.926.916.914.912.412.010.68.15.10.10.1
26LAT Latvia29.84.22.61.60.50.70.80.80.80.70.70.7
27Ireland Ireland26.327.218.17.36.01.91.10.50.20.20.20.2
UK United Kingdom288.2--204.3197.0193.9176.8137.781.342.926.316.2

Concentrated solar power

Main article: Concentrated solar power

Solar power, the production of electricity from solar energy, is performed either directly, through photovoltaics, or indirectly, using concentrated solar power (CSP). One advantage that CSP has is the ability to add thermal storage and provide power up to 24 hours a day. Gemasolar, in Spain, was the first to provide 24-hour power. There is considerable academic and commercial interest internationally in a new form of CSP, called STEM, for off-grid applications to produce 24-hour industrial scale power for mining sites and remote communities in Italy, other parts of Europe, Australia, Asia, North Africa and Latin America. STEM uses fluidised silica sand as a thermal storage and heat transfer medium for CSP systems. It has been developed by Salerno-based Magaldi Industries. The first commercial application of STEM will take place in Sicily from 2015.

CSP in Europe (MWpeak)#Country2007200820092010201120122013EU EU10602817381,1591,9612,311
1ESP Spain10.0060.00281.40531.401,151.401,953.902,303.90
2ITA Italy0005.005.005.005.35
3GER Germany0001.501.501.501.50
4FRA France0000.500.750.750.75

Solar thermal

Main article: Solar thermal energy

Over the next 10 years the European solar thermal will grow on average at a rate of 15% per annum. According to the National Renewable Energy Action Plans the total solar thermal capacity in the EU will be 102 GW in 2020 (while 14 GW in 2006).

In June 2009, the European Parliament and Council adopted the Directive on the promotion of the use of energy from Renewable Energy Sources (RES). For the first time, heating and cooling accounting for half of the final energy demand will be covered by a European directive promoting renewable energies. The overall renewable target is legally binding but renewable mix is free. According to the delivered national plans the highest of solar heating markets during 2010-2020 will be in Italy, Germany, France, Spain, and Poland in respect to the national target in 2020 and capacity increase. Top countries per capita will be Cyprus, Greece, Austria, Italy, and Belgium.

In some European countries the solar thermal market is still in its infancy. Bulgaria, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom have extremely low targets in their plans. Estonia, Finland, Latvia, and Romania have not included solar thermal in their national plans at all.

Solar heating is the usage of solar energy to provide space or water heating. Worldwide the use was 88 GWthermal in 2005. Growth potential is enormous. The EU have been second after China in the installations. If all EU countries had used solar thermal as enthusiastically as the Austrians, the EU's installed capacity would have been 91 GWth (130 million m2), far beyond the target of 100 million m2 by 2010, set by the white paper in 1997. In 2005 solar heating in the EU was equivalent to more than 686,000 tons of oil. ESTIF's minimum target is to produce solar heating equivalent to 5,600,000 tons of oil (2020). A more ambitious, but feasible, target is 73 million tons of oil per year (2020) – a lorry row spanning 1,5 times around the globe.

Solar heating in the European Union (MWthermal)#Country200820092010201120122013EU EU (in GW)19.0821.6023.4925.5529.6631.39**Notes:**
17,7669,0369,83110,49611,41612,055
22,2683,0313,2272,7923,4483,538
32,7082,8532,8552,8612,8852,915
41,1241,4101,7532,1522,3802,590
59881,3061,5431,6592,0752,238
61,1371,2871,4701,2771,6911,802
72543574596378481,040
8223395526547677717
9116148216265625681
10254285313332605616
11293339379409499550
12485490491499486476
13270333374460455475
14202217227236337342
15188204230226334374
165285106111177196
1796111116123142148
181859105120125137
196680737493110
20677384100108113
218498
22225674815859
23252932363435
24182023233033
25161922252327
2611131012
27122368
28122346
Solar heating in watts per capita#Country20112013EU EU average**55****62**
1609551
2397419
3253263
4130150
58083
678108
76572
85868
95365
104148
113751
123536
123537
143443
152743
152734
172527
181921
191727
20118
21914
2277
2356
2446
2446
2614
2713
28n.a.23
Solar heating – Historical data in kWth from 2004 to 2010CountryTotal (2010)Total (2009)Total (2008)add 2006add 2005add 2004
Germany9,676,8008,896,3007,765,8001,050,000665 000525 000
Greece2,858,9402,851,9402,707,740168 000154 350150 500
Austria2,685,5562,517,8122,268,231204 868163 429127 816
Italy1,870,2111,404,3611,124,361130 20088 94168 417
Spain1,474,8061,261,516987,816122 50074 76063 000
France1,101,7301,371,3701,136,870154 00085 05036 400
Cyprus500,515514,640485,24042 00035 00021 000
Portugal470,888345,338223,26514 00011 2007 000
Poland459,123356,902255,97328 98019 39020 230
United Kingdom401,254332,514270,14437 80019 60017 500
Denmark367,602330,946292,79617 71014 87514 000
Netherlands313,317285,139254,33910 28014 17418 410
Belgium229,703203,593188,26324 94514 16410 290
Sweden226,615217,362202,44519 97715 83514 041
Czech Republic215,863147,854115,57015 42110 8858 575
Slovenia122,710111,51096,1104 8303 3601 260
Hungary104,87057,81317,6757007001 050
Ireland92,04275,43252,0803 5002 4501 400
Slovakia85,22576,12566,6755 9505 2503 850
Bulgaria73,71089,53022,1201,5401,4001,260
Romania73,29080,01066,010280280280
Malta32,10228,60224,7523,1502,8002,951
Finland23,04618,88117,7052,3801,6681,141
Luxembourg22,12019,04015,7501,7501,3301,190
Estonia2,0441,6941,379210175175
Latvia1,3581,2185,005840700350
Lithuania1,6801,5403,003420350350
EU27+CH
GWth**24.11****22.14****19.08**** 2.10**** 1.43****1.14**
* = The relation between collector area and capacity: m2 = 0.7 kWthermal

Organisations

  • SolarPower Europe is a member-led association representing organisations active along the whole value chain that aim's to ensure that more energy is generated by solar than any other energy source by 2030 and to lead their members to make solar the core of a smart, sustainable, secure and inclusive energy system to reach carbon neutrality before 2050.

  • The European Solar Manufacturing Council is an industry association that represents European solar photovoltaics (PV) manufacturers, research and development organizations, and companies engaged in the upstream PV industry in Europe. ESMC's primary objective is to promote the PV manufacturing industry and its associated value chains at the European level by fostering a supporting political environment.

References

References

  1. [Solar Thermal Markets in Europe Trends and Market Statistics 2010], European Solar Thermal Industry Federation (ESTIF) June 2011 p. 14-15, Figure Capacity in operation 2010/2020
  2. (2023-06-13). "The world’s solar rooftop power doubled in 2022, new report reveals".
  3. (2023-12-12). "New report: EU solar reaches record heights of 56 GW in 2023 but warns of clouds on the horizon". SolarPower Europe.
  4. (2024-12-12). "European Electricity Review 2024". Ember.
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  7. [http://www.eurobserv-er.org/pdf/baro208.asp Photovoltaic barometer 208]{{Dead link. (July 2018)
  8. Lubbe, Anne. (12 September 2012). "Denmark reaches 2020-goal for solar energy before time".
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  10. "Photovoltaic energy barometer 2010 – EurObserv'ER".
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  13. "Photovoltaic energy barometer 2012 – EurObserv'ER".
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  24. "Population change - Demographic balance and crude rates at national level (DEMO_GIND)".
  25. "Concentrating Solar Power".
  26. Goodman, Al. (3 October 2011). "Spain's round-the-clock solar power plant".
  27. CSP Today, 11 April 2014 "Italian project shows strong potential for sand based CSP"
  28. [http://www.eurobserv-er.org/pdf/baro209-ST_H.pdf EurObserv'ER: Solar thermal and concentrated solar power barometer - May 2012]
  29. [http://www.energies-renouvelables.org/observ-er/stat_baro/observ/baro221_en.pdf EurObserv'ER: Solar thermal and concentrated solar power barometer - May 2014] {{webarchive. link. (6 November 2014)
  30. "Solar Thermal Action Plan for Europe ESTIF, 1/2007".
  31. while report from the European Solar Thermal Industry Federation (ESTIF) accounts for 30.2 GWth and includes capacity from non-EU member Switzerland.http://www.estif.org/ European Solar Thermal Industry Federation (ESTIF) [http://www.estif.org/fileadmin/estif/content/market_data/downloads/solar_thermal_markets2013_v01.pdf Solar Thermal Markets in Europe - Trends and Market Statistics in 2013], June 2014 [https://web.archive.org/web/20150218224724/http://www.estif.org/fileadmin/estif/content/market_data/downloads/solar_thermal_markets2013_v01.pdf archive]
  32. http://www.estif.org European Solar Thermal Industry Federation (ESTIF) [http://www.estif.org/fileadmin/estif/content/market_data/downloads/Solar%20Thermal%20Markets%20in%20Europe%20-%20Trends%20and%20Market%20Stat.pdf Solar Thermal Markets in Europe - Trends and Market Statistics in 2011], June 2012 [https://web.archive.org/web/20150924002539/http://www.estif.org/fileadmin/estif/content/market_data/downloads/Solar%20Thermal%20Markets%20in%20Europe%20-%20Trends%20and%20Market%20Stat.pdf archive]
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  34. since 2010 overseas departments excluded
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  39. "European Solar Manufacturing Council (ESMC)".
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