Accelerating renewables roll out

Keypoints

The EESC:

• Highlights the need for the EU to boost solar energy and further European capacities in this field as a matter of urgency, at the same time recognising the differences between Member States in terms of their energy mix.

• Welcomes the EU Solar Energy Strategy, but regrets that its results will come so late. It calls on Member States not to wait for the adoption of the new EU rules and to already start facilitating administrative procedures and shortening the permit-granting process.  Member States should enhance one-stop-shop, integrated and single permit-granting procedures and speed up the designation of "go-to areas".

• Calls on policy-makers to encourage, support and enable people to become solar energy prosumers and to build up energy communities.

• Notes that the expansion of the use of heat pumps should also be seen in tandem with the increase in the installation of solar PVs, as combination of the two provides the most energy-efficient and economically accessible solution for cooling where climate conditions allow, while the precondition is a good isolation of buildings.

• Calls for a stronger emphasis to be placed on agricultural photovoltaics, which offer farmers the opportunity to earn an extra income from energy production. However, installation should not distort the use of productive farmland or harm food production.

• Finds it imperative for the EU to find ways of producing solar PVs in Europe, improving the environment for public and private investment and creating business friendly conditions, including proper access to finance and a strong focus on research and innovation. It is important to build a domestic EU industrial capacity for sustainable and reasonably priced solar energy products and calls for solid support for the Solar PV Industry Alliance.

• Urges intensive promotion of training and skills development in cooperation between relevant stakeholders.