This ambition faces a potential supply resilience risk: Europe currently relies almost entirely on imports from one country for the solar PV panels it needs. China dominates the solar-PV supply chain with almost 95 percent of the world's wafer production (Exhibit 2). It is home to the top. Our analysis suggests that the costs of solar-PV manufacturing in Europe at scale for the full value chain will be at a 20 to 25 percent disadvantage against current lowest cost levels—if. For European-based companies to succeed in building feasible, long-term competitive positions in the global solar-PV supply chain and enable a viable European industry, the success formula will likely combine highly ambitious and cost-competitive.
Does Europe have a solar supply chain?
SolarPower Europe has released a report mapping Europe's solar PV module production equipment capacity, identifying at least 38 companies involved in manufacturing key machinery for the solar supply chain, including cells, ingots, wafers, and polysilicon.
Does Europe need a solar PV system?
Europe relies on solar photovoltaic (PV) as one of the main energy sources in its climate roadmap. Europe has been a pioneer and leader in PV production, and the installation targets are continually increasing via Renewable Energy Directive revisions.
The new mid-year solar PV EU market analysis from SolarPower Europe reveals that for 2025, the annual market is expected to contract for the first time since 2015, with a projected -1.4% growth in the most likely scenario. This follows the exceptional annual market expansions in 2022 (+ 47%) and 2023 (+51%), and flattened growth in 2024 (+3.3%).
The current trend suggests that Europe will fall short of its goals, hosting 723 GW of solar PV by 2030, compared to the required 750 GW. The analysis comes as solar's performance for Europe hits the headlines. According to Ember, for the first time, solar delivered most of the EU's monthly electricity in June.
Does Europe still produce PV panels?
Europe's share in the global production market of PV panels fell from over 30% in 2010 to less than 5% today. The European region still has several production sites located in industrial clusters, offering logistical advantages and proximity to customers.
Germany alone aims to install 215 GW by 2030, adding 160 GW of new capacity on top of the current 58 GW, almost scaling the market by a factor of four. 2 With these ambitions in place, Europe would maintain its position as one of the major solar-PV markets in the world, alongside China, India, and the United States.