October 4, 2017. Renewable energy sources include wind power, solar power (thermal, photovoltaic and concentrated), hydro power, tidal power, geothermal energy, ambient heat captured by heat pumps, biofuels and the renewable part of waste. Figure 1 shows the latest data available for the share of renewable energies in gross final energy consumption and the targets that have been set for 2020. * This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence. This article provides recent statistics on the share of energy from renewable sources overall and in three consumption sectors (electricity, heating and cooling, and transport) in the European Union (EU). The contribution of all liquid biofuels is included within the calculation for this indicator until 2010. Cities, states, and federal governments around the world are instituting policies aimed at increasing renewable energy. Among the EU-27 Member States the share of energy from renewable sources in heating and cooling was more than half in Sweden (66.1 %), Latvia (57.8 %), Finland (57.5 %) and Estonia (52.3 %). The Renewable Energy Directive sets rules for the EU to achieve its 20% renewables target by 2020. In 2019, renewable energy sources made up 34 % of gross electricity consumption in the EU-27, slightly up from 32 % in 2018. The average share of energy from renewable sources in transport increased from 1.6 % in 2004 to 8.9 % in 2019. Meanwhile, scientists and companies are working on ways to more efficiently convert corn stover, wastewater sludge, and other biomass sources into energy, aiming to extract value from material that would otherwise go to waste. This will allow Europe to keep its leadership role in the fight against climate change, in the clean energy transition and in meeting the goals set by the Paris Agreement. The EU seeks to have a 20 % share of its gross final energy consumption from renewable sources by 2020; this target is distributed between the EU Member States with national action plans designed to plot a pathway for the development of renewable energies in each of the Member States. Developments in the industrial sector, services and households contributed to this growth. Renewable Energy is an international, multi-disciplinary journal in renewable energy engineering and research. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/energy/reference/renewable-energy.html, setting new records for electricity generation, average temperatures on the surface are rising. Another problem with wind turbines is that they’re a danger for birds and bats, killing hundreds of thousands annually, not as many as from glass collisions and other threats like habitat loss and invasive species, but enough that engineers are working on solutions to make them safer for flying wildlife. Non è possibile visualizzare una descrizione perché il sito non lo consente. Croatia, France, Lithuania and Hungary). 5 Fast Facts about Hydrogen and Fuel Cells. This includes hydro power plants (excluding hydro power electricity produced from pumped storage plants using water previously pumped uphill), as well as electricity generated from solid biofuels/wastes, wind, solar and geothermal installations. To achieve this, on 11 December 2019 the European Commission presented the European Green Deal (COM(2019) 640 final), the most ambitious package of measures that should enable European citizens and businesses to benefit from sustainable green transition. Fossil fuels are embedded in nearly everything we do, and as a result, the greenhouse gases released from the burning of those fuels have reached historically high levels. This means that the growth in electricity from solar power has been dramatic, rising from just 7.4 TWh in 2008 to 125.7 TWh in 2019. In 2019, renewable energy provided about 11.5 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu)—1 quadrillion is the number 1 followed by 15 zeros—equal to 11.4% of total U.S. energy consumption. The remaining one-third of electricity generated was from solar power (13 %), solid biofuels (8 %) and other renewable sources (9 %). Renewable energy is useful energy that is collected from renewable resources, which are naturally replenished on a human timescale, including carbon neutral sources like sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves, and geothermal heat. Solar: From home rooftops to utility-scale farms, solar power is reshaping energy markets around the world. The European Commission has set out several energy strategies for a more secure, sustainable and low-carbon economy. Consumption for pipeline transport was included in gross final consumption of energy, in line with the sectoral classification of the Energy Statistics Regulation. In January 2014, the European Commission put forward a set of energy and climate goals for 2030 with the aim of encouraging private investment in infrastructure and low-carbon technologies. Even hydropower at full capacity bears its own emissions problems, as decaying organic material in reservoirs releases methane. Measures accompanied with an initial roadmap of key policies range from ambitiously cutting emissions, to investing in cutting-edge research and innovation, to preserving Europe’s natural environment. 2020 National Geographic Partners, LLC. Becoming the world’s first climate-neutral continent by 2050 is the greatest challenge and opportunity of our times. Renewable energy is providing affordable electricity across the country right now, and can help stabilize energy prices in the future. Renewable Energy is no longer a niche sector of novel technologies, and we have now implemented renewable energy to a scale where it is expected to provide 50% of global power in the next few decades. When looking at the national targets, fourteen Member States have already surpassed their targets for 2020. This page has been accessed 430,776 times. #1: Renewable energy is a form of clean energy that is provided by natural sources present in nature. Renewable Energy Statistics 2020 provides data sets on power-generation capacity for 2010-2019, actual power generation for 2010-2018 and renewable energy balances for over 130 countries and areas for 2017-2018. Climate change encompasses not only rising average temperatures but also extreme weather events, shifting wildlife populations and habitats, rising seas, and a range of other impacts. The Communication also called for a more coordinated European approach in the establishment and reform of support schemes and an increased use of renewable energy trading among EU Member States. There are many benefits to using renewable energy resources, but what is it exactly? Scopri Renewable Energy - The Facts di Witzel, Walter, Seifried, Dieter: spedizione gratuita per i clienti Prime e per ordini a partire da 29€ spediti da Amazon. Although renewable facilities require upfront investments to build, they can then operate at very low cost (for most clean energy technologies, the “fuel” is free). In 2019, renewable energy accounted for 22.1 % of total energy use for heating and cooling in the EU-27, increasing from 11.7 % in 2004. Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) are sold by renewable energy producers in addition to the electricity they produce; for a few cents per kilowatt hour, customers can purchase RECs to “offset” their electricity usage and help renewable energy become more cost competitive. Try the new automatic translation by clicking on the blue icon “Translate” up in the right corner of the article! Find out more about solar power - and learn how this renewable resource harnesses the power of the sun into usable energy. List item. Given the 15-year normalisation requirement for hydro power production and the availability of energy statistics (for the EU, starting from 1990), long time series of this indicator are not available. Becoming the world’s first climate-neutral continent by 2050 is the objective behind the European Green Deal (COM(2019) 640 final), the very ambitious package of measures that should enable European citizens and businesses to benefit from sustainable green transition. In February 2015, the European Commission set out its plans for a framework strategy for a resilient energy union with a forward-looking climate change policy in a Communication (COM(2015) 80 final). As some countries have not yet fully implemented all provisions of the Renewable Energy Directive, some biofuels and bioliquids are not counted as compliant (sustainable) in the period 2011-2015. But a look at ... tells a different tale. But biomass can raise thorny issues. Progress reports. There are various forms of renewable energy, deriving directly or indirectly from the sun, or from heat generated deep within the earth. This will greatly contribute to the Commission's political priority as expressed by President Juncker in 2014 for the European Union to become the world number one in renewables. © 1996-2015 National Geographic Society, © 2015- Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy. At least 29 U.S. states have set renewable portfolio standards—policies that mandate a certain percentage of energy from renewable sources, More than 100 cities worldwide now boast at least 70 percent renewable energy, and still others are making commitments to reach 100 percent. Wind and hydro power accounted for two-thirds of the total electricity generated from renewable sources (35 % each). Strictly speaking, renewable energy is just what you might think: perpetually available, or as the U.S. Energy Information Administration puts it, "virtually inexhaustible." Germany had the world's largest photovoltaic installed capacity until 2014, and as of 2020 it has 49 GW. The first U.S. offshore wind farm opened in 2016 in Rhode Island, and other offshore projects are gaining momentum. China, Japan, and the U.S. are leading the solar transformation, but solar still has a long way to go, accounting for around two percent of the total electricity generated in the U.S. in 2017. The share of renewables in gross final energy consumption stood at 19.7 % in the EU-27 in 2019, compared with 9.6 % in 2004. This article presents the results applying these accounting rules. You are here. While the share of renewable energy as a whole is increasing since 2004, between 2010 and 2011 its share in transport decreased. geothermal power station. Energy production from non-renewable municipal wastes was deducted from the contribution of biomass to heating and electricity generation. So let’s take the blinders off and open our eyes to 10 amazing facts about renewable energy that everyone should know. Get all the numbers behind fuel cell electric vehicles. All rights reserved. The rest of this article's statistical findings deal with the developments from 2004 to 2019 in the share of energy from renewable sources in three areas: electricity, heating and cooling, and transport. A report on the sustainability of solid and gaseous biofuels used for electricity, heating and cooling (SWD(2014) 259) was adopted in July 2014. Renewable energy directive. The share of energy from renewable sources in electricity is presented in Figure 2. Energy Basics. For updated information on what applies to your country, please visit krisinformation.se, official emergency information from Swedish authorities. At the other end of the scale, the share of electricity from renewable sources was 10 % or less in Malta (8 %), Cyprus, Luxembourg and Hungary (all 10 %), see Table 2. Geothermal: Used for thousands of years in some countries for cooking and heating, geothermal energy is derived from the Earth’s internal heat. Due to revision of data for biomass consumption in households, the updated data for Croatia indicates that its consumption of energy from renewable sources is above its 2020 target since 2004 (the first year for which values are available). Renewable energy comes from renewable resources. Categories Alternative Energy (205) Similarly, debates have erupted over whether it's a good idea to ship wood pellets from U.S. forests over to Europe so that it can be burned for electricity. The use of renewable energy has many potential benefits, including a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, the diversification of energy supplies and a reduced dependency on fossil fuel markets (in particular, oil and gas). Corporations are making a difference too, purchasing record amounts of renewable power in 2018. On a large scale, underground reservoirs of steam and hot water can be tapped through wells that can go a mile deep or more to generate electricity. Only reported compliant biofuels and bioliquids are counted towards the respective shares of renewables. The Directive changes the legal framework for promoting renewable electricity, requires national action plans to show how renewable energies will be developed in each EU Member State, creates cooperation mechanisms, and establishes sustainability criteria for liquid biofuels (following concerns over their potential adverse effects on crop prices, food supply, forest protection, biodiversity, water and soil resources). Directive 2009/28/EC will be used until reference year 2020. It is designed in such a way as to leave no individual or region behind in the great transformation ahead. The term often also encompasses biomass as well, whose carbon neutral status is under debate. At the origin of these initiatives is the 2020 climate and energy package adopted in December 2008, which provided a further stimulus for increasing the use of renewable energy sources to 20 % of total energy consumption by 2020, while calling for energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions to both be cut by 20 %. Hydropower: For centuries, people have harnessed the energy of river currents, using dams to control water flow. Critics of corn-based ethanol, for example, say it competes with the food market for corn and supports the same harmful agricultural practices that have led to toxic algae blooms and other environmental hazards. Dams aren't the only way to use water for power: Tidal and wave energy projects around the world aim to capture the ocean's natural rhythms. Of course, renewables—like any source of energy—have their own trade-offs and associated debates. The EFTA country Norway also reported a high share of renewable energy in transport fuel consumption (27.6 %), see Figure 4. Due to Covid-19, there are currently restrictions on travels to and from Sweden. Renewable energy is derived from natural processes that are replenished at a rate that is equal or faster than the rate at which they are consumed. Among the EU-27 Member States, more than 70 % of electricity consumed in 2019 was generated from renewable sources in Austria (75 %) and Sweden (71 %). All of those factors have contributed to a renewable energy renaissance in recent years, with wind and solar setting new records for electricity generation. As greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere that would otherwise escape into space, average temperatures on the surface are rising. Home » 5 Fast Facts about Hydrogen and Fuel Cells. To a certain extent, yes. "Everything from Solar Panels & Wind Turbines down to Wire & Fuse!" That's because renewable energy sources such as solar and wind don't emit carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. Data for the period 2004-2010: Directive 2009/28/EC did not yet exist or had not been transposed into national legislation. The share of energy from renewable sources in heating and cooling is presented in Figure 3. The Hidden Costs of Turning Food Into Fuel. As a consequence of the Renewable Energy Directive, countries are monitoring much closer the flows of renewable energy commodities in their economies. They include energy generated from solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, hydropower and ocean resources, solid biomass, biogas and liquid biofuels. But Croatia is not the only case. The statistics presented in this article are based on data compiled in accordance with accounting rules set down in the Directive 2009/28/EC on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources and calculated on the basis of energy statistics covered by Regulation (EC) No 1099/2008 on energy statistics, most recently amended in November 2019 by Regulation (EU) No 2019/2146. Some people may object to how wind turbines look on the horizon and to how they sound, but wind energy, whose prices are declining, is proving too valuable a resource to deny. Types of renewable energy sources Hydropower: For centuries, people have harnessed the energy of river currents, using dams to control water flow. Biomass: Biomass energy includes biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel, wood and wood waste, biogas from landfills, and municipal solid waste. The latest data for 2005 shows a small variation with respect to data available during the preparation and adoption of the Directive in 2007-2008. Aerothermal, geothermal and hydrothermal heat energy captured by heat pumps for heating purposes is taken into account. WATCH: Taller than the Statue of Liberty, these wind turbines journeyed across the sea. Facts and Figures Renewable energy resources alone are not sufficient to meet the predicted dramatic increase in energy demands through 2030. In 2019, renewable energy represented 19.7 % of energy consumed in the EU-27, only 0.3 % short of the 2020 target of 20 %. world's biggest source of renewable energy, disrupt river ecosystems and surrounding communities, object to how wind turbines look on the horizon, other offshore projects are gaining momentum, energy capacity from photovoltaic panels increased a whopping 4,300 percent, geothermal energy is derived from the Earth’s internal heat. Industry and energy together account for 20% of water demand. In any discussion about climate change, renewable energy usually tops the list of changes the world can implement to stave off the worst effects of rising temperatures. The consumption of electricity from renewable sources was also high in Denmark (65 %), Portugal (54 %) and Latvia (53 %), accounting for more than half of electricity consumed. Renewable Energy Company Renewable Energy Company Renewable Energy Company Renewable Energy Company Full article. For this reason, the time period that fossil fuels formed (about 360-300 million years ago) is called the Carboniferous Period. There are five main forms of renewable energy: solar, wind, water, biofuel and geothermal (heat from the earth). used in transport by 2020. One of the key targets proposed is for the share of renewable energy to reach at least 27 % by 2030. This page was last modified on 19 January 2021, at 10:36. Renewable energy includes solar, hydro and wind energy. The values in these years are not used for any measurement of legislative compliance with the indicative trajectory defined in part B of Annex I of the Directive. Germany has been called "the world's first major renewable energy economy". Hydropower is the world's biggest source of renewable energy by far, with China, Brazil, Canada, the U.S., and Russia the leading hydropower producers. The growth in electricity generated from renewable energy sources during the period 2009 to 2019 largely reflects an expansion in three renewable energy sources across the EU, principally wind power, but also solar power and solid biofuels (including renewable wastes). It is also the world's third country by installed wind power capacity, at 59 GW in 2018, and second for offshore wind, with over 4 GW. More details on the share of energy from renewable sources in transport can be found in Table 4. Wind energy is made when the wind moves the … Hydropower generation is vulnerable to silt buildup, which can compromise capacity and harm equipment. A very significant case is the consumption of biomass, where countries are launching new more detailed surveys that allow them to capture more data on the final energy consumption of biomass. Among the EU-27 Member States, the share of renewable energy in transport fuel consumption ranged from highs of 30.3 % in Sweden, 21.3 % in Finland and 12.5 % in the Netherlands down to 4 % or less in Greece and Lithuania (both 4.0 %) and Cyprus (3.3 %). Renewable energy, also called alternative energy, usable energy derived from replenishable sources such as the Sun ( solar energy ), wind ( wind power ), rivers ( hydroelectric power ), hot springs ( geothermal energy ), tides ( tidal power ), and biomass ( biofuels ). National renewable energy action plans 2020. 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