EPIA To Present To Cancun

For the second year in a row, the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) will be present at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP16) which began this week in Mexico. Despite the disappointing results of last year's gathering in Copenhagen, EPIA will go to Cancun with high expectations, hoping that governments will increase the momentum to transform the pledges of mid-term emission reduction targets and financing made under the Copenhagen Accord into a legally binding agreement. 

Photovoltaic energy technologies are available now and ready to deliver energy with environmental and economic benefits. According to EPIA's paradigm shift scenario, by 2020, photovoltaic (PV) energy could contribute as much as 12% of the electricity demand in Europe alone; reaching 390 GW of installed capacity and saving 220 Mt CO2 per year. This is the equivalent to eliminating the carbon emissions from Thailand or taking 98 million cars off the road each year. It is therefore imperative that all governments taking part in the COP16 discussions advocate for a clear shift to renewable energy sources to reduce the world´s dependence on conventional fuels and satisfy the energy demand of a growing population.

The full potential of PV still remains untapped worldwide, especially in the Sunbelt region, as it has been detailed in EPIA's recent report "Unlocking the Sunbelt potential of photovoltaics". 

• The Sunbelt comprises the countries located between parallels 35 North/South and represents today about 75% of the world's population and 40% of the global electricity demand.

• About 80% of the forecasted growth of the world electricity demand in the coming 20 years will originate from fast developing economies in that region. 

• Characterized by an intense solar irradiation and often, high electricity prices, countries of the Sunbelt, where PV has a unique competitive potential, constitute an immense opportunity for PV to become mainstream by 2020 and to become a major electricity source by 2030. 

• According to EPIA's recent estimations, the PV potential of these countries could range from 260 to 1,100 GW by 2030, representing 27-58% of the forecasted global installed capacity. 

• The prices of PV systems are expected to decrease by up to 66% in the next two decades. 

Photovoltaic energy has the potential of being a major player in global mitigation efforts if the right policies and incentives are put in place now, and should be considered a part of the climate negotiations. A clear shift by decision-makers to support policies that stimulate deployment of photovoltaic energy is crucial to provide a clear direction for the green transformation of the world's economy. It is therefore of the utmost importance to agree on binding mid-term and long-term emission reduction targets for all developed countries in order to guarantee investment security and create green investment patterns, as well as the inclusion of photovoltaic deployment policies in the low emission development strategies of developing nations. The obstacles continue to be political, not technical.

EPIA, in collaboration with its American counterpart SEIA, is leading a global solar initiative that has brought together more than 40 international solar organisations www.solarcop16.org. They ask political leaders taking part in the COP16 negotiations to support solar energy as a key solution to fighting climate change, reducing greenhouse gases emissions and bringing clean electricity to both the developed and developing world.