Energy Atlas: Figures and facts about renewables in Europe

IMPRINT
INTRODUCTION

• TWELVE BRIEF LESSONS
  ON EUROPE’S ENERGY
• HISTORY
  FROM COAL TO CLIMATE
  In the EU, an Energy Union is emerging from a bewildering array of packages, policies, projects and proposals. They map the shift from concern over how energy markets function to efforts to promote renewables and curb greenhouse gas emissions.
• VISION
  LOOKING TO BE LEADER
  Europe is making progress towards its energy transition at a rate few imagined ten years ago. There is still a long way to go, but the continent is now in a position to become the global leader in green energy. It needs to make the right policy choices today to seize this opportunity.
• ECONOMY
  MAKING PROGRESS, MORE WORK NEEDED
  Renewables have moved from being a sideshow to the main act in Europe’s energy theatre. Government support has been key to this – but renewables are increasingly able to stand on their own.
• CITIZENS
  MANY DROPS MAKE A RIVER
  Conventional energy comes from a few large, powerful firms. But for renewable energy sources, it makes sense for the generation capacity to be owned by individuals and communities. Policies that encourage this create local support for the development of renewable infrastructure instead of opposition.
• CITIES
  TESTBEDS FOR ENERGY INNOVATION
  Changing national laws and policies is cumbersome, time-consuming and risky: what if the law or policy proves to be a dud? Cities, on the other hand, can be a hotbed of innovation. They are big enough to try out new ideas on a large scale, but small enough to brush them aside if they do not work out – and the best ideas can be scaled up to the national level.
• ENERGY POVERTY
  WAITING IN THE COLD AND DARK
  Imagine living in a household without adequate heating, electricity or hot water. Such conditions may be familiar in the developing world, but they are surprisingly common in the EU too. Renewable energy is part of the solution to a disturbing problem.
• LINKING SECTORS
  POWER, TRANSPORT, HEAT UNITED
  Electricity is only one part of the renewables picture. Heating, cooling and transport consume huge amounts of fossil fuels. Converting them to renewable energy poses challenges, but also offers solutions to the problem of variable power generation from solar and wind sources.
• ELECTRICITY
  UNDER CURRENT
  The switch to renewables is not just a matter of covering a few acres with solar panels, erecting wind turbines, and then plugging in. Electricity grids must be carefully managed to precisely balance the demand for power with its supply. That is no easy task.
• MOBILITY
  ON THE ROAD TO A CLEANER FUTURE
  Commuters stuck for hours in fume-filled traffic jams epitomize the urgent need for cleaner, more efficient transport systems. Devising a rational transport policy must combine new technologies with proven approaches.
• HEATING AND COOLING
  TO A CERTAIN DEGREE
  Much of the time, the weather in Europe is either too cold or too hot for comfort. Heating and cooling buildings consumes a huge amount of energy. New technologies and better policies could increase efficiency and cut both costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
• ENERGY EFFICIENCY
  GETTING MORE FROM LESS
  Draughty, poorly insulated buildings, outdated factory equipment, home appliances that slurp power instead of sipping it. Much of the energy we use is wasted. European Union policy directives are trying to change this.
• DIGITALIZATION
  TAKING A QUICK BYTE
  The spread of renewable energy means a switch from a few large power plants to many smaller sources. But how can millions of solar panels and wind turbines be integrated into a reliable system that balances out supply and demand? Digitalization provides the answer.
• EUROPEAN UNION
  MORE AMBIVALENT THAN AMBITIOUS
  After a stuttering start, the European Union’s energy sector is now undergoing a profound transformation. Instead of losing steam, the European Commission and the governments of member states must now set ambitious targets, and design policies that enable the continent to reach them.
• POLAND
  WHERE COAL IS STILL KING OF THE HILL
  After some initial progress towards renewable power, Poland is now treading water. A change in government has led to backtracking – this means the country will miss even its modest goals for clean power.
• CZECH REPUBLIC
  Strongly embedded coal and nuclear power industries, coupled with a poorly designed support scheme for renewables and political uncertainty – the Czech Republic faces an uphill battle in the shift to renewables.
• GREECE
  CLOUDS WHERE THE SUN SHOULD SHINE
  Plentiful sunshine and breezy seas and mountains: Greece has strong potential for renewable energy. But the country’s debt problems have stalled progress towards a cleaner future.
• SPAIN
  RICH IN SUN, POOR IN POLITICS
  Sun-drenched and zephyr-kissed, Spain occupies a corner of Europe that is ideal for solar and wind power. After an initial surge of investment in renewables, the flaws of the government’s energy policy became evident, and the authorities slammed the brakes on investment. There are signs that they may now be relenting.
• FRANCE
  ADDICTED TO ATOMS
  France has long relied heavily on nuclear power. Weaning itself off this dependency and switching to renewables is proving tricky. Questions include how to overcome bureaucratic hurdles and how quickly to phase out the country’s nuclear plants.
• GERMANY
  TURNING AROUND, BUT NOT YET ON COURSE
  Germany’s energy transition includes phasing out nuclear power, reducing the use of fossil fuels, and massive investment in renewables. That is in itself a big challenge, but there is more to come: the country also needs to convert its heating, cooling and transportation sectors to renewable energy.
• NEIGHBOURS
  POWER TO ALL OUR FRIENDS: THE INCONSISTENCY OF POLICIES
  The tier of countries to the east and south of the European Union are a source of energy imports as well as a potential source of instability. The EU neighbourhood policy wants to contribute to carbon emission reduction. But large-scale investments in new pipelines undermine these goals.
   

GLOSSARY

AUTHORS AND SOURCES FOR DATA AND GRAPHICS

ABOUT US