A strong regional PV sector and implementation of PV as an electricity source are seen by the European Union as important to help achieve its policy goals of greater energy supply security, reduction of greenhouse gases and sustainable development. While the PV sector globally has been demonstrating encouraging growth, the EU is aware that – outside of Japan – this has been largely brought about by a rather ad-hoc mix of technology and policy drivers. Certainly the perception from within Europe has been that the EU lacks a common long-term vision for the PV sector, and has not had a clear strategic plan how to bring about the rapid expansion of a world class, cost-competitive, European PV industry.

To address these shortcomings, a high-level advisory group, the Photovoltaic Technology Research Advisory Council (PV-TRAC), drawn from many of the major European PV stakeholders, was established in late 2003.

The Council has now released its initial recommendations in the report A Vision for Photovoltaic Technology. Looking towards the year 2030, the report forecasts that PV electricity will become competitive with conventional utility peak power in southern Europe by 2010, and in most of Europe by 2030, when it could potentially contribute around 4 % of electricity production worldwide.

To achieve this will require further substantial cost reductions to deliver 2030 system prices in the order of 1 EUR/W. In turn, to achieve this ambitious price goal requires a coordinated, strategic research focus encompassing basic research (into materials, devices and conversion principles), applied R&D, demonstration and enabling fields (such as standards, quality assurance, and socio-economic issues).

The Council’s recommendation to establish a ‘PV Technology Platform’ to support implementation of its Strategic Research Agenda is the main conclusion of the report and the basis for achieving the 2030 vision. The Technology Platform is something of a coordinating ‘supergroup’, conceived to foster effective public-private partnerships between the research community, industry and policy makers.

The Platform is intended to provide, for instance, better linkages and dialogue on activities being undertaken within the individual Member States (to avoid unnecessary replication and better focus resources, as well as to encourage harmonization of standards and policy tools, when appropriate), within different disciplines (to allow cross-fertilization from complementary research sectors), and within separate stages in the technological and market development cycle (to overcome issues such as transition from laboratory to manufacturing scale).

While the prime focus of the Platform is very clearly on strengthening European industry and energy security, there is recognition that international exchange, notably with Japan, US and IEA PVPS can bring broad benefits. PV-TRAC also recommends stronger partnerships with multi- and bilateral development agencies, the fi nance sector and relevant NGOs to support energy services for developing countries.

[ Top ] [ Previous article in PV Power ] [ Next article in PV Power ]