Greetings from Germany! I have been supporting Solnet’s expansion and local recruitments here from the beginning of the year. During that time I have noticed that the European solar boom is exalarating which is the result of EU’s targets. RES (renewable energy sources) 45% went through recently meaning that EU has promised to reach 45% share of renewable energy by 2030.
European Union supports utilisation of renewable energy heavily through RePowerEU and Green Deal plans. In 2022 there were 41GW solar energy installed in the Europe and the target for 2023 is 60GW which is the minimum in order to fight against climate change according to IEA. At the moment it looks like that even 71GW can be possible.
In Europe one can also notice the effect taxonomy has into usage of renewable energy. Taxonomy supports green transition through green loans with lower interests. According to PwC's 26th Annual CEO Survey 62 % of Belgian CEOs say that in the next 12 months they'll invest to adopt alternative energy resources. The average for global CEOs is 34 %.
Solnet grows fast and we recruit new employees all the time to help our customers to reach their sustainability targets. Many see energy transition as a possibility to make an impact and we have now already eight different nationalities working for us. We are also constantly looking for more people who have the passion and desire to affect the future in the middle of this energy transformation.
Solar Rooftop Initiave affects on both building phase as well as installation
EU has recently published also a new Solar Rooftop Initiative as part of its solar strategy. This initiative includes a phased-in legal obligation to install solar panels on public and commercial buildings as well as residential buildings as follows:
- by 2026 in all new public and commercial buildings and new residential buildings which are over 250 m2
- by 2027 in all public and commercial buildings and all residential buildings which , are over 250 m2
- by 2029 in all new residential buildings
Solar energy is seen as the backbone of EU’s energy system and the target is to get 1TW solar energy in Europe by 2030. As comparison the largest solar plant installed by Solnet this far is 4 MW so there will be a lot to install for many years to come.
Savings and security
Solar energy offers savings and security to the Europeans in times of energy crisis and beyond. One understands its popularity very well when we consider its return on investment (from +10 to 15 %), sustainability angle (visible CO2 reduction), and self-sufficiency (risk management and stabilizing costs). Onsite and near site are locally produced and at the moment the most cost-effective way to produce energy.
Sun is shining and the Spring is finally here and installments are getting busier so it is advisable to get in touch with our sales if you want to secure your project soon.
Happy Easter and enjoy the days off!
Veli-Matti Heimonen
COO, Solnet Group
