Considering that electrification is currently the most cost-effective and efficient solution to decarbonize transport, SolarPower Europe stressed, on Tuesday 5 and Wednesday 6 November, the need for policy makers to develop regulatory frameworks that support the electrification of transport in Europe.
“Now, it is critical to raise awareness amongst policymakers and local authorities on these renewable transportation modes. In order for solar mobility to flourish in Europe, the right regulatory frameworks must be developed, which facilitate innovation and implementation”, said Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO of SolarPower Europe, at the Digital Solar & Storage event in Brussels, which brings together primarily players from the energy and digital industries.
This request is shared by Christopher Burghardt, Managing Director of the European section of ChargePoint, a company specialising in charging. According to him, while players in the solar mobility industry are ready to provide products that allow current and future green mobility, the regulatory landscape must now adapt and “adopt a systematic approach to coordinate policies and maximize market potential”.
Invited to speak at the opening of the event, the Director-General of the European Commission's Energy Department, Ditte Juul-Jørgensen, said that the institution's highest priority is to implement the Green Deal and that solar energy plays a key role in the ecological transition. And she added: “Solar combined with digitalization and storage options will be some of the most important technologies in the years to come to improve the security and flexibility of energy systems and to meet energy targets”.
Taking advantage of this event, SolarPower Europe also published on Wednesday 6 November, a new report on solar mobility that aims to explore the potential of clean mobility solutions and solar energy and calls for bridging “the gap between transport and energy policy”.
While recalling that solar energy demand in Europe is growing rapidly (an additional 24 GW capacity is planned for 2020), this document highlights three existing solar mobility models, all of which SolarPower Europe believes can now lead to significant carbon reductions in the transport sector: solar energy mobility (when solar electricity is used directly or indirectly to “fuel” clean mobility), Smart solar charging and vehicle-integrated photovoltaic systems.
To download the report: https://bit.ly/2pPHEbQ (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)