For the first time, the EU has adopted emergency legislation on renewable energy. With the electricity crisis affecting all of Europe, partly due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, EU energy ministers have responded to high electricity prices.
As of January, EU member states will benefit from faster lead times for the delivery and installation of solar panels by shortening bureaucratic processes for solar installation projects. It is as yet unclear how Sweden interprets the directive, which would mean that lead times would be reduced to a three-month deadline.
- "We urge grid operators to think creatively and work to enable urgent solar development," commented Dries Acke, Policy Director at SolarPower Europe, in a press release.
Specifically, lead times are to be shortened and applied to "artificial structures". What this refers to is up to each individual country to decide. What can be included within the designation are industrial and commercial areas as well as transport infrastructure such as carports or parking lots, or along highways and railways.
- The energy crisis requires an emergency measure. The IEA says we need at least 60 GW of solar energy by next winter to make up for the shortage of Russian gas. This emergency regulation will help us deliver the necessary solar electricity to keep the lights on," said Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO of SolarPower Europe.
The regulation is expected to enter into force as early as January 2023 and will apply for 18 months, according to the press release, and can be applied to projects started before June 2024.
SolarPower Europe is the European trade association for renewable energy. SBP was the first Swedish company to engage internationally through membership in the organization.
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