Photovoltaics RTD, demonstration and promotion supported by the European Commission

In view of the EU´s policy commitments to expanding the contribution of renewable energy sources (notably renewable electricity) to final EU energy consumption and to supporting is use in third countries, the future development of PV in the European Union will be supported through both research and demonstration actions. Research will focus on the next generation of PV technologies, including thin film PV, processing and automated manufacturing, cost reductions for components and systems as well as research for innovative applications of PV in the built environment. The aim of the demonstration activities will be to accelerate the market penetration of more cost-effective PV technologies. The priorities are to demonstrate innovative production concepts for high efficiency modules (including integrated inverter solutions), and to transfer a new generation of PV products to industrial scale, as well as to promote the markets for building integration and autonomous generation systems. Special attention will be given to facilitating access to new PV technologies for developing countries.