The Integrated SET Plan
The Framework Strategy for a Resilient Energy Union with a Forward-Looking Climate Change Policy (Energy Union strategy) is built on the ambition to achieve a fundamental transformation of Europe's energy system in a cost-effective way. This will be achieved by moving to more sustainable, smarter, more flexible, more decentralized, more integrated, secure and competitive ways of delivering energy to consumers. Most importantly, meeting this ambition will require that energy producers and suppliers innovate in terms of energy production, transportation and services. As innovation is the basis to the Energy Union, it is vital to support researchers and companies at key stages in the development of new products and processes.
The Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan) as part of the Energy Union strategy is at the forefront of European energy technology policy. The integrated SET Plan identifies ten actions needed to accelerate the EU energy system transformation in a cost-effective way. Renewable technologies are at the heart of the new energy system with photovoltaic solar energy (PV) as a main pillar.
PV contributes to two of ten SET Plan Key Actions, namely:
SET Plan strategic targets on PV
In the framework of the integrated SET Plan, representatives of the European Commission services, representatives of the EU Member States, Iceland, Norway, Turkey and Switzerland (i.e. the SET Plan Steering Group), and representatives of the European Technology and Innovation Platform for Photovoltaics (ETIP PV), agreed in December 2015 on a Declaration of Intent (DoI) on PV (i.e. SET Plan Declaration on Strategic Targets in the context of an Initiative for Global Leadership in Photovoltaics) which presents high-level R&D&I priorities for the solar PV sector. A Temporary Working Group (TWG) on PV was set up in January 2017 to draft an Implementation plan that contains concrete R&I activities, and proposes relevant funding opportunities for their realization, which are considered essential for achieving these targets. The Implementation Plan was endorsed by the SET-Plan Steering Group in November 2017.
PV Implementation Plan
The Implementation Plan describes the technological and non-technological R&I activities that need to be implemented in order to achieve the strategic targets adopted in the SET Plan Declaration of Intent (DoI) on PV from December 2015.
The DoI recognises that, building on the Integrated Roadmap of the SET Plan, public (EC and Member States/Regions) and private investment must focus on targeted R&I actions. The overarching goals are to re-build EU technological leadership in the PV sector by pursuing high-performance PV technologies and their integration in the EU energy system as well as bringing down the levelized cost of electricity from PV rapidly and in a sustainable manner to allow competition in electricity markets all over Europe.
To achieve these goals, activities targeting improvements on PV system performance, cost reduction, sustainability and innovations have to be carried out. Advances on BIPV products are expected by joint efforts between the PV and the building sectors.
The PV Implementation Plan identifies 5 technology-related priority activities for the future development of PV technologies and applications in Europe. The 5 R&I activities are:
PV for BIPV and similar applications
Technologies for silicon solar cells and modules with higher quality
New technologies & materials
Development of PV power plants and diagnostics
Manufacturing technologies (for cSi and thin film)
