Central role for solar in climate solutions: Poznan

Representatives from three leading international solar companies and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) - Dr. Zhengrong Shi, Suntech's Chairman and CEO, Jeremy Leggett, Executive Chairman of Solarcentury, Mike Ahearn, Chairman and CEO of First Solar, and Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director - gathered at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Poznan, Poland to propose the rapid implementation and expansion of policies designed to support the growth of the solar industry and the global adoption of solar technology as a major contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction in support of global climate goals.

The four representatives stated that solar technology is already a cost-effective alternative for generating electricity and countries world-wide should immediately revise energy development plans to include a higher proportion of this clean and sustainable energy source: "Solar technology is no longer a niche energy solution, but is already reaching the scale and cost points to fundamentally change the way we generate electricity. As a result of substantial investments over the past 5 years, the solar industry has dramatically improved solar technologies and established roadmaps for further cost reductions. In fact, electricity generated from solar installations is already reaching parity with peak energy and retail energy prices in many regions."

"Now is the time for world leaders, businesses and communities to build the platform for solar to be adopted on a much greater scale. This will not only improve energy autonomy, but also serve to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and deliver an economically viable solution to climate change. We believe that the global climate change deal agreed to in Copenhagen at the end of 2009 should include concrete targets and policies for a rapid transition to solar in the coming decades."

The group encouraged the adoption of a set of major climate and energy policies to enable solar to make a significant contribution toward GHG- reduction and economic-development goals, including:

+ Stringent, ambitious, international and national carbon regulation policies;

+ Enforceable renewables mandates with a solar carve out or credit multiplier for solar energy;

+ Near-term incentives that could include feed-in tariffs, partial rebates, tax credits and/or property-based loans;

+ And favorable net metering, interconnection, permitting and land-use policies.

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He continued: "When you consider that in Europe around half of all emissions come from buildings, directly and indirectly, you get a sense of how excited we are about our industry's ability to contribute in the fight against global warming. Solarcentury will be publishing a book next year presenting a vision of the future, and mapping the emerging solar revolution. We are calling it "The Solar Century," because that is what the twenty-first century has to be. We're proud to be doing this from the UK, not traditionally seen as the hub of solar power innovation. The future can be bright if governments understand the opportunities and help unleash the potential of solar."

He continued: "Led by California and New Jersey, over half of the states in the U.S. have adopted renewable portfolio standards, which together with favorable tax incentives and other policies, has emerged as an important driver in increasing solar power generation.
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For solutions we need to look up, not backward.