Are European solar photovoltaic panels reliable

What is the rooftop solar PV comparison update?

The Rooftop Solar PV Comparison Update produced by CAN Europe and eco-union, with contributions from our members, is an updated version of the Rooftop Solar PV Comparison Report published by CAN Europe in May 2022.

Are solar panels a risk to the EU?

The EU is fully dependent on China for solar panels and at least two conventional risks are associated with this. The first is the economic risk that China might in the future make use of its predominant position in global solar PV manufacturing to distort the market and artificially obtain additional economic rents.

Will solar power be a major engine of Europe's energy transition?

Solar power promises to be a major engine of Europe’s energy transition. By 2030, European Union countries aim to reach the target of almost 600 gigawatts 1 of installed solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity as set out in the European Union’s Solar Energy Strategy (European Commission, 2022a) – up from around 263 GW today 2 .

Does the EU have a competitive advantage in solar PV production?

When it comes to economic growth, it is difficult to expect solar PV manufacturing to provide a major contribution, given that the EU has no comparative advantage in producing the existing generation of solar panels, and it is not clear where any unrealised advantage might lie. Source: Bruegel based on Ignaciuk (2023).

Should Europe stockpile solar panels?

While the EU might offer substantially lower subsidies than the US, they will still far exceed the costs of storing panels. From a short-term resilience perspective, stockpiling is cheaper. Accelerating the deployment of solar panels should be a much higher economic-security priority for Europe than developing its own manufacturing capabilities.

Why should the EU support domestic solar panels?

Source: Bruegel based on Ignaciuk (2023). This leaves the third reason – resilience – as the only possible justification for supporting domestic manufacturing. The EU is fully dependent on China for solar panels and at least two conventional risks are associated with this.