The New European Renewable Energy Directive - Opportunities and Challenges for Photovoltaics

The first European Renewable Energy Directive had a time horizon from 2009 until 2020. The effects of this directive were the drafting of roadmaps describing how the Member States of the European Union, planned to reach their respective renewable energy targets and created a confidence in investors to invest in the sector. Photovoltaic installations saw a very rapid increase between 2009 and 2013 and a very sluggish market situation afterwards. What can we now expect of the second version with a time horizon until 2030? From the lessons learned during the last 10 years, it is clear that only solar and wind have the necessary potential to realise the targets.