European Commission urges members to deploy solar to tackle energy crisis, releases ‘toolbox’

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
The European Commission has recommended an increased roll out of renewables to mitigate future energy crises on the continent. Image: Pixabay.

The European Commission (EC) has urged member states to accelerate solar deployment in order to tackle Europe’s rising electricity prices and has released a ‘toolbox’ to address the short-term impact of prices and strengthen resilience against future shocks.

Speaking at a press conference earlier this week (13 October), the EC Energy Commissioner, Kadri Simson, called the current situation in Europe, which has pushed energy prices up to record levels, “exceptional” but urged member states to future proof their countries from further shocks.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

“The clean energy transition is the best insurance against price shocks in the future, and needs to be accelerated. The EU will continue to develop an efficient energy system with high share of renewable energy,” said the Commission.

It told members to “step up investments in renewables, renovations and energy efficiency and speed up renewables auctions and permitting processes”.

Europe’s most competitive power purchase agreements (PPAs) offers jumped 8% quarter-on-quarter as a result of the worsening energy crisis and the EC guidance includes immediate measures to protect consumers and businesses through supporting their access to renewable PPAs.

The EC called on members to “facilitate a wider access to renewable PPAs and support them via flanking measures”.

Claire Couet, policy director at SolarPower Europe explained that “solar PPAs protect European industries against price volatility” and said the EC’s “proposed flanking measures to support the development of PPAs are very positive and must be deployed fast.”

As part of measures for a decarbonised and resilient energy system, the EC also urged states to “develop energy storage capacity, to support the evolving renewables share, including batteries and hydrogen”.

“Investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency will not only reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels, but also provide more affordable wholesale energy prices that are more resilient to global supply constraints,” it added.

SolarPower Europe’s CEO Walburga Hemetsberger said the current crisis was a “wake-up call” for the continent.

“As the lowest cost and most versatile energy source, today solar is already insulating millions of Europeans from price shocks,” Hemetsberger said. “According to our calculations, households with existing solar installations are saving around 60% on their monthly electricity bills during this electricity price crisis.”

“Member states must launch dedicated tenders and establish the right price signals for solar and storage projects, while implementing ambitious innovation policies to deploy the technologies we need in our grids,” Hemetsberger added.


2 December 2025
Málaga, Spain
Understanding PV module supply to the European market in 2026. PV ModuleTech Europe 2025 is a two-day conference that tackles these challenges directly, with an agenda that addresses all aspects of module supplier selection; product availability, technology offerings, traceability of supply-chain, factory auditing, module testing and reliability, and company bankability.

Read Next

October 7, 2025
Juniper Green Energy through its subsidiary Juniper Green Sigma Eight has signed a 70MW power purchase agreement with renewable energy giant Tata Power. 
October 2, 2025
The European solar sector will lose around 5% of its jobs in 2025, the first contraction in employment for the sector in nearly a decade.
September 25, 2025
A Fraunhofer and SolarPower Europe study has concluded that reaching the EU's annual solar module manufacturing target of 30GW is achievable.
September 23, 2025
European power purchase agreement (PPA) prices fell 0.6% between July and August this year, according to Swiss consultancy Pexpark.
September 16, 2025
Two of the major European solar trade associations, the European Solar Manufacturing Council (ESMC) and SolarPower Europe (SPE), have called for EU policymakers to take measures supporting European solar manufacturing.
September 10, 2025
A project claimed to be Germany’s largest agriPV plant has been commissioned in the north-east of the country.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
October 21, 2025
New York, USA
Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
December 2, 2025
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK