EU wants rooftop solar on all public buildings by 2025

The draft REPowerEU plan to end the reliance on Russian fossil fuels is worth EUR 195 billion, according to the versions seen by the media. The European Commission will reportedly promote the installation of rooftop solar panels on every public building by 2025, but also loosen environmental policy so that renewable energy plants can be approved faster.

The European Union is preparing a so-called European Solar Rooftops Initiative to help reduce the use of gas for the production of electricity and heating, major news outlets reported after seeing the European Commission’s plan. The REPowerEU package is set to be presented next week and the document is still a work in progress, but the draft shows photovoltaics are one of the key components.

European Commission opts for 500 GW target for total solar power capacity for 2030

The European Commission may set the goals for solar power capacity at 300 GW for 2025 and at 500 GW for 2030, the reports said. Solar rooftops are an important component, where the buildings with the highest energy consumption would have priority, according to the documentation.

Five EU member states demanded the target for solar power for the end of the current decade to be set at 1 TW

Austria, Belgium, Lithuania, Luxembourg and Spain recently told European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen the 2030 target should be 1 TW. On a global scale, according to SolarPower Europe, the same threshold was achieved only last month.

The package of measures and investments aimed at eliminating the need for Russian fossil fuels well before 2030 is worth EUR 195 billion, the draft reads.

Unclear whether all new, renovated buildings would need to add photovoltaic systems

Furthermore, national governments would be required to cut permitting time for rooftop solar to three months and enable the installation of such devices on every available public building by 2025 if the proposal is passed. There were also contradictory reports on whether solar power systems would be made compulsory for all new and renovated buildings.

The draft reveals a push to accelerate permitting for renewable power plants by easing environmental protection rules in “go-to areas” that member states would be obligated to determine.

The European Commission is set to propose schemes for training for workers in the solar sector and supporting photovoltaic equipment manufacturing projects. The EU’s executive body is also preparing to boost the target green energy share for the end of the current decade to 45% from 40%, the reports said, adding that goal for lowering energy consumption from 2020 would be lifted to 13% from 9%.