The Solar Manufacturing Accelerator and the future of the solar manufacturing industry
The European Commission recently acknowledged solar energy as one of the six most competitive clean energy technologies in its latest Report on clean energy competitiveness, together with offshore renewables (wind and hydrogen), smart grids, batteries and hydrogen. This report aims at evaluating for the first time the competitiveness of the energy industrial value chains.
With this in mind, ELTI was very happy to be co-organising a webinar with SolarPower Europe on Tuesday, 10th November 2020. This webinar consisted of a 20-25 minute presentation from Naomi Chevillard who provided an introduction of the evolution in the solar sector, present SolarPower Europe’s initiatives and explore potential areas of cooperation and joint activities with ELTI members. This was then followed by a QnA session.
Background Information
Solar Manufacturing Accelerator Background Presentation
SolarPower Europe, the trade association representing the solar industry active in Europe, has launched in July 2020 the Solar Manufacturing Accelerator, a European platform open to all companies and organizations interested in Solar PV Manufacturing. Their goal is to accelerate the deployment of industrial PV projects in Europe through facilitating the identification of leading PV manufacturing projects and connecting them with financial investors. In July 2020, they selected 10 flagship mature industrial projects in Europe which they presented to the Vice-President of the EIB, the European Commission and a number of member state representatives. In the second half of 2020, the Accelerator is pursuing its activities, continuing to support industrial projects, mapping and building the European solar PV industrial ecosystem, and facilitating contacts between project developers, offtakers and investors. They have received an increasing interest from the European Commission and several member states, and are working closely with EIT Innoenergy which has successfully managed the European Battery Alliance. For more information about the Solar Manufacturing Accelerator, please find attached a descriptive presentation.
“The strong knowledge of the EU research institutions, the skilled labour force, and the existing and emerging industry players provide a basis for re-establishing a strong European photovoltaic supply chain. To remain competitive, such industry needs to develop a global outreach. Building a sizeable EU P V manufacturing industry would also reduce the risk of supply disruptions and quality risks.”
