The European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, Miguel Arias Canete, has opened today the III Spanish Solar Forum. How could it be otherwise, everyone in favor of his words. Nobody against.
The Spanish Solar Forum started its first day on Monday more than 450 people between representatives of companies, institutions and experts, national and international, consolidating itself as a benchmark in the sector. The EU Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, Miguel Arias Cañete announced that the new renewable directive to meet the objectives of 2030 will mean the investment of 190 billion euros and 900 thousand jobs.
In an undoubted climate of optimism, everyone talks about the new era that opens for renewables. And particularly for photovoltaics, a technology called to conquer the global energy landscape, as evidenced by the 50 GW of new solar power that was installed in the world in 2015.
These claims by Cañete come on the same day that the consulting and research firm GlobalData releases a new report announcing that The global photovoltaic solar energy market is expected to increase its installed capacity from around 225 Gigawatts (GW) in 2015 to 294,69 GW in 2016.
Miguel Arias Cañete has highlighted what in his opinion is the message left by the Paris and Marrakech summits: "The era of fossil fuels has ended and we are in the era of renewable energies". And for that trip, for that transition we need new saddlebags. Those included in the new regulatory package on Climate and Energy that, foreseeably, will be presented tomorrow, and that has been the main protagonist of this first day.
“This total review of our energy approach will involve a complete revolution of the markets and a redesign of the electrical system for a better integration of renewable energies within the framework of the system ”.
Design a new electricity market
Arias Cañete has insisted that the energy transition requires organization and is based on three keys: "the reform of the saving and efficiency directive, the reform of the renewable directive and a redesign of the electricity market that is prepared to integrate more renewables." The Spanish commissioner has also spoken about incentivize renewable energies in heating sectors and refrigeration, and increasing its use in transportation.
"And that's precisely where the smart money is," according to the European Commission
For its part, the Vice President of the CNMC, María Fernández Pérez, affirmed that after the approval of the Paris agreements we are at a key moment to face the future of the electricity and photovoltaic sector. According to Fernández, the energy transition “will take several years and will have to be undertaken in an orderly manner, without committing
past mistakes”, Guaranteeing the security of supply and the competitiveness of our economy.
The EC seems to have taken good note of the latest balance sheets. «The renewable energies -explains in the statement he published yesterday- attracted in 2015 a global investment of more than 300.000 million euros»(€ M). And the Union can use its research, development and innovation policies to turn this transition 'into a concrete industrial opportunity'. The EC talks about mobilizing up to € 177.000 million of public and private investment per year "From 2021", and glimpses, hand in hand with that investment, "An increase of up to 1% of GDP over the next decade and 900.000 new jobs."
The development of photovoltaics in China
According to a report by GlobalData, China will continue to be the world's largest market for annual solar photovoltaic installations. In fact, it states that in 2015 it installed 15,13 GW, reaching an accumulated capacity of 43,48 GW, 13 times that of 2011.
This year, in the first quarter, it added a total of 7,14 GW photovoltaics, of which 6,17 GW were from solar plants and 970 MW from distributed generation. According Ankit Mathur from GlobalData, these data can be attributed "to the country's efforts to boost green energy and adjust the energy mix dominated by coal".
The firm recalls in a statement that China's Five-Year Plan sets a photovoltaic target of 2020-150 GW for 200 and also intends to reach un renewable energy consumption of around 15% in 2020 and 20% in 2030.