Photovoltaics in the European Union

Global Photovoltaic (PV) capacity doubled from 1TWp in 2022 to over 2TWp in 2024, with 3TWp ex-pected by the end of 2025 - confirming PV as the fastest - growing renewable technology. At the same time, PV module efficiencies increased from 9% in 1980 to 22.6% in 2024, while cutting-edge technologies like perovskites and silicon-based tandems now exceed 30% efficiency in laboratory settings. Costs have plummeted, with the global utility-scale Levelised Cost of Electricity (LCoE) fall-ing 87% since 2010 to just USD 43/MWh, and rooftop PV in Europe achieving energy payback in about a year. Although the EU leads in PV innovation and hosts one-quarter of global PV innovators, its manufacturing base is struggling to compete with low-cost Chinese imports, causing bankruptcies and risking technology sovereignty. To close this gap and meet growing demand, urgent and coordi-nated policy action is needed to strengthen the EU’s supply chain, meet NZIA targets, and restore competitiveness - especially in upstream production of wafers, cells, and modules. Stable, harmonised policies are essential to unlock the full potential of PV, boost resilience, and achieve the Euro-pean Union’s climate and energy independence goals.