Energy-Geek: 70% of New EU Power from Renewable Vitality in 2011, 47% from Solar 21% from Wind

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

70% of New EU Power from Renewable Vitality in 2011, 47% from Solar 21% from Wind

In complete, wind and solar electrical power have been responsible for 68% of new EU electrical power installations in 2011 and renewable power as a total was accountable for about 70%. Over 30,000 MW of the 44,939 MW of new electrical power capacity came from wind and solar—that’s a 37.seven% increase over 2010 and sets a new record for the EU.

96% of renewable energy growth was from wind and solar power, as the pie chart beneath exhibits.

“Since 2000, 28.two% of new capacity installed has been wind electrical power, 47.eight% renewables, and 90.eight% renewables and fuel mixed,” the European Wind Power Association (EWEA), which produced these graphics, reported. Right here’s a chart of energy generating capacity and renewable power’s share of that considering that 1995 (click to enlarge):

And this exhibits EU energy capability mix in 2000 compared to 2011 (click to enlarge):

Solar

Solar PV was the leader in new power installations in 2011, accounting for 21 GW (46.7%) of new power capability, as you can see over, but I haven’t seen considerably detail on that nevertheless, as all the information I have is from EWEA.

Wind

With 9.six gigawatts (GW) or 9,616 megawatts (MW) of new wind power installed in 2011, the European Union (EU) now has 94 GW of wind energy capability installed, eleven% far more than in 2010. In complete, wind power accounted for over one particular-fifth (21.four%) of new power installations in the EU in 2011.

This is really slightly less than the volume of new wind power put in in 2010, 9,648 MW.

In total, wind energy now accounts for about ten.five% of put in energy capacity in the EU, and renewable power accounts for 31.three%. It’s 94,000 MW right now is incomprehensibly more than the 814 MW it had installed back in 1995.

The countries with the most put in wind electrical power in the EU are:

Germany (29.one GW — 31%)

Spain (21.7 GW — 23%)

France (6.eight GW — seven%)

Italy (six.seven GW — 7%)

UK (6.five GW — 7%)

Of new power, the leaders in 2011 have been:

Germany (two,086 MW — 22%)

UK (1,293 MW — 13%)

Spain (one,050 MW — 11%)

Italy (950 MW — ten%)

France (830 MW — 9%)

“Growth in onshore installations in Germany and Sweden, and offshore in the UK – with each other with continuing powerful overall performance from some emerging onshore markets in Eastern Europe – have far more than offset the fall in installations in mature markets such as France and Spain,” EWEA notes.

Here’s a far more-thorough table on wind electrical power adjustments across all EU countries:

And right here’s one particular for EU candidate nations:

And, looking back a bit additional, right here’s installed new wind energy capability information from 1995 to 2011 (click to enlarge):

And, lastly (on wind), here’s wind’s share of electrical energy consumption by EU member state (click to enlarge):

Coal

Nonetheless, 2011 did see more coal installed than decommissioned in 2011, for just the third time given that 1998. EWEA notes that this is a clear sign the EU needs to move to a 30% renewable energy by 2020 target (as an alternative of its existing twenty% target), which a modern study found would price significantly less than previously predicted, which would also save the continent billions in the lengthy run.

EWEA also says this highlights the urgent need to have to “introduce an Emissions Performance Common, and to end decades of subsidies for new coal create and its fuel.”

Nuclear

Continuing a long trend, the EU did see far more nuclear energy decommissioned than set up. As you can see in the chart over, nuclear, especially, was decommissioned to a significant degree.

Source: European Wind Vitality Association (EWEA)

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