COP30: Solar Energy

Recommendations

• Promote solar on buildings. Use legislation and incentives to accelerate the rollout of rooftop and building-integrated solar panels.
• Invest in large-scale solutions. Develop dual-use solar projects (e.g., combining solar power and agriculture) to reduce land-use conflicts.
• Ensure circularity. Design panels for recyclability and build a circular value chain for solar energy.
• Counter monopolies. Rebuild a European solar industry to reduce dependency and mitigate global dominance by a few countries.
• Harmonise regulations. Establish shared incentives and standards across national borders.
• Integrate with storage and grids. Develop energy storage solutions, digital control systems, and forecasting tools.
• Advance new technology. Prioritise silicon-based tandem cells to achieve higher efficiencies.

Current situation

Solar photovoltaic (PV) cells convert sunlight directly into electricity without the need for intermediate energy carriers. The technology is extremely versatile — it can be used in everything from small specialised applications to large solar parks, and electricity can be produced close to where it is consumed. This has driven an average annual growth rate of around 26 % in solar PV installations between 2013 and 2023. Today, global investments in solar power exceed those in all other generation technologies combined, and solar is expected to become the largest contributor to renewable electricity production by 2028.

Like all renewable energy, solar requires considerable land area. It is estimated that about 2.2 % of Europe’s total land area could be used for solar and wind energy production — with only 0.2 % currently occupied by rooftop solar. Rapid scaling of solar capacity could therefore lead to land-use conflicts. At the same time, solar technology has significant material demands, and as older panels reach end of life, the volume of waste will increase. This makes circularity and recycling critical for a sustainable value chain.

The efficiency of commercial solar panels has improved from 16 % to over 22 % over the past decade. The most advanced solar cells are now approaching the theoretical efficiency limits of current technologies, and further progress will require new materials and production methods.

From both a political and security standpoint, it is vital to ensure local manufacturing capacity to avoid monopolisation by a few countries or regions. Europe — and particularly Norway — once played a central role in the solar value chain, but Asia (94 %), and especially China (86 %), now dominates the market. Re-establishing a European and Norwegian solar industry will require decisive policy action and technological innovation that also meets environmental and labour standards. Solar power is inherently variable, with fluctuations across seasons, days, and weather conditions. This variability creates challenges for balancing supply and demand — a factor that could limit deployment unless addressed through advances in grid and storage technologies. Beyond this, challenges within the PV systems themselves increasingly concern digital solutions that enhance predictability through data modelling and artificial intelligence.

Solution

Solar energy from buildings must be fully and rapidly utilised. To succeed, all stakeholders in the value chain need stable and predictable framework conditions that enable long-term investments. There is also a need for more research on solar energy performance under Nordic and Arctic conditions, where low temperatures and unique light environments affect both efficiency and lifetime. For instance, lower temperatures can have a positive impact on system durability, directly improving investment profitability.

However, rooftop solar alone will not be sufficient. Large-scale solar solutions must be developed in parallel. The environmental and ecological impacts of solar farms must be quantified to allow for evidence-based trade-offs. Dual-use land strategies — combining solar installations with agriculture — will be a key part of the solution. By allowing solar panels and food production to share land, highly efficient land use can be achieved without compromising food supply. Floating solar installations can also utilise less conflict-prone areas, though it is crucial to assess and mitigate potential impacts on aquatic ecosystems and develop robust, cost-effective structures.

Silicon will likely remain the dominant material for solar cells in the foreseeable future, but further research into combining silicon with other materials — so-called tandem solar cells — is needed to boost efficiency and enable new applications. Solar panels must also be designed for recyclability to allow materials to be reused and to minimise environmental impacts.

In addition to advances in energy storage and grid infrastructure, it is essential to develop digital systems that can forecast variations in solar generation from different types of installations to ensure optimal integration. Harnessing the capabilities of artificial intelligence will be crucial in this regard. To secure local energy supply and avoid markets dominated by a few large global actors, businesses must be given favourable economic conditions and protection from unfair competition. For Europe, it is critical to develop technologies that adhere to strict health, safety and labour standards. A strengthened European value chain that leverages national and regional strengths will be key to building a sustainable and resilient solar energy sector.