IRENA's Summer of Solar at InterSolar Europe

This week, IRENA joins thousands of energy enthusiasts in Munich, Germany at InterSolar Europe, the world’s leading solar industry trade exhibition. Linked this year to EU PVSEC, the world’s largest conference in the field of solar photovoltaics (PV), the event will bring together an unprecedented range of solar stakeholders to further the already impressive growth of the industry in recent years.

Over the course of the week, IRENA will lead and participate in 10+ side events, launch three solar-focused publications, launch one new solar initiative, and staff the IRENA booth (B3.572) in the exhibition hall.

InterSolar Europe marks the beginning of IRENA's Summer of Solar (#SummerofSolar) campaign, which aims to highlight the key role of solar energy in the ongoing energy transition. Last week, the Agency released its latest renewable energy costing figures, which found that average electricity costs for solar photovoltaics (PV) could decrease up to 59% by 2025.

Here's a quick overview of what to expect next from IRENA over the coming week:

TUESDAY 21 JUNE, 2016

• IRENA, in conjunction with the Terrawatt Initiative, will launch a new effort to boost solar energy deployment worldwide. The Solar Energy Standardisation Initiative aims to spur global solar development in support of the Paris Agreement by standardising contracts to streamline the development and finance of solar projects.
• IRENA, in conjunction with IEA-PVPS, will release the report End-of-Life Management: Solar Photovoltaic Panels, the first-ever projection of PV panel waste volumes to 2050. It highlights that recycling or re-purposing solar PV panels at the end of their roughly 30-year lifetime can unlock a large stock of raw materials and other valuable components. More details on the End-of-Life Management panel at InterSolar Europe.

WEDNESDAY 22 JUNE, 2016

• IRENA will launch the report Letting in the Light: How Solar Photovoltaics Will Revolutionize the Electricity System. Focusing on technology, economics, applications, infrastructure, policy and impacts, the report gives an overview of the global solar PV industry and its prospects for the future. It includes data and statistics on capacity, costs, investment, jobs and the environment.
• IRENA will participate and speak at the Off-Grid Power Forum to highlight the importance of expanding solar development for off-grid applications and the role of the private sector in this area. IRENA will tease the upcoming 3rd edition of the International Off-grid Renewable Energy Conference and Exhibition (IOREC), taking place in Nairobi, Kenya from 30 September to 1 October, 2016. Registration will be available soon on the event website.
• IRENA will lead an invitation-only session on PV costs and markets in Africa. It will provide a sneak-peak of the report, Solar PV and Markets in Africa, launching to a broader public next month.

THURSDAY 23 JUNE, 2016

• IRENA will release the paper Solar Pumping for Irrigation: Improving Livelihoods and Sustainability, which provides an overview of effective ways to deploy solar pumping technology for irrigation.

Stay tuned to the newsroom for more information on each of the above launches. For more information on InterSolar Europe, visit the event website.

Join the conversation on social media via hashtag #SummerofSolar