As of January 1, 2022, changes will take place in many areas. The renewable energy sector, and in particular photovoltaics, is one of them!
Let’s take a look at the main measures for renewable energies in the European Union.
The European Union: committed to renewable energy…
In 2022 and for the next few years, the European Union’s objective is to create a more competitive and integrated European energy market, in particular with its “Energy Union” program.
This program, which is part of the EU’s energy policy*, was set up to boost the EU’s integration in the energy sector and to ensure its energy independence. But also, the goal is to allow a reliable energy supply at affordable prices and to establish an efficient use of energy.
Let’s recall the 3 main objectives at the EU level for 2030:
– A reduction in greenhouse gas emissions
– Increased electricity interconnection
– A minimum improvement in energy efficiency of at least 33%.
According to the Council of the European Union, “in order for the European Union to achieve its clean energy and climate objectives, Member States shall continuously develop National Energy and Climate Plans (NECP)”.
40% : this is the new target renewable energy consumption by 2030 (previously set at 32%). This seems achievable, since most member countries are convinced of “the need to accelerate the development of renewable energies”.
Most of the 28 EU member states are committed to making their territory the first climate neutral continent by 2050.
Aid is needed to achieve the objectives
In order for European countries to be able to reach their environmental goals, the European Commission has determined that support measures are necessary.
For example, at the end of 2021, the Commission set up an aid plan for France worth 5.7 billion euros, mainly for photovoltaic installations of less than 500 kilowatts peak (kWp).
France, already well supported by the Commission, will also be able to count on its France Relance** program, established in 2021 and 2022 to accelerate the ecological transition. In this program, a part is devoted specifically to renewable energy, whose purpose is to develop them massively.
But that’s not all, Spain, like many other countries, will also receive support from the EU.Despite the fact that the country has seen great development in the photovoltaic sector in recent years, there remains a major challenge in the efficient use and implementation of renewable energy. Difficulties remain such as the lack of resources which impacts on the ambition of energy transition.
Faced with this situation, the European Commission approved, at the beginning of 2022, “an aid scheme to support energy-intensive companies in Spain”¹. A first step by the Commission.
This program, which is very useful for the country, will end in December 2022 and will allow the Spanish government to carry out more projects. To be continued…
Green Pact and European Climate Law: key words for the coming years
Essential changes will take place in 2022 with the aim of making ecology a concrete part of citizens’ daily lives. Let’s see which ones!
For the European Commission, the potential of solar energy must be fully exploited.
For this, it has been able to implement several solutions, such as the Green Pact, which has as its main objective climate neutrality by 2050.
In July 2021, the Commission presented the “Target 55 Adjustment Package” allowing the implementation of the Green Pact for Europe. Still under negotiation, this package of proposals and initiatives aims to “revise and update EU legislation to align it with the EU’s 2030 and 2050 climate objectives.”²
There was also a proposal for a “modification of the Renewable Energy Directive to align its renewable energy targets with its new climate ambitions”.
Regarding the European Climate Act, which establishes a framework for measuring progress, a new target was set: a net reduction in EU greenhouse gas emissions of at least 55% by 2030.
To meet this ambitious goal, a follow-up to this law should be given with the presentation of proposals “to review and update climate and energy legislation to ensure compliance with the agreed global target for 2030”.³
But that’s not all:
A new body will be created in the coming year to monitor the consistency of measures with the set targets: the European Scientific Advisory Council on Climate Change.
Explanations: fifteen experts will be appointed for a period of four years. They will be able to provide advice and scientific opinions on EU measures while ensuring that the Union remains on the path of its initial ambition.
As we understand it, several measures have been put in place and are being processed in order to identify barriers to the use of solar energy and to accelerate its deployment.
The main goal is to make the European Union the first climate neutral territory in the world.
In this positive context for renewable energies, S4E is happy to help European and international players to make their monitoring as smooth and efficient as possible, by proposing its monitoring solution Energysoft!
About S4E
Founded in 2010, S4E is a software editor, specialized in energy information systems. ENERGYSOFT monitors today more than 8000 installations allowing the diversification of the energy mix in the territories, more than 1,7 GWp of projects. This solution is dedicated to the monitoring and maintenance of decentralized production plants on roofs or on the ground connected to the grid, in self-consumption with or without energy storage.
*EU : European Union
**France Relance : France’s economic recovery plan for 2020-2022 is a program put in place by the French government in order to revive the French economy following the economic crisis linked to the Covid-19 pandemic
²https://www.consilium.europa.eu/fr/policies/energy-union/
³https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/european-green-deal/delivering-european-green-deal_en
