3 March, Paris – The annual Eur’ObservER monitoring of renewable energies in Europe has found that renewables were responsible for 14% of total energy consumption in 2012 – up from 12.9% in 2011 – but gives a bleaker outlook for future growth.
3 March, Paris – The annual Eur’ObservER monitoring of renewable energies in Europe has found that renewables were responsible for 14% of total energy consumption in 2012 – up from 12.9% in 2011 – but gives a bleaker outlook for future growth.
With 14% of energy from renewables, the EU is just 6% away from its 2020 target, though there is a mixed view for the performance of different technologies.
Wind energy growth has slowed over the past few years, putting it behind the expected trajectory drawn out in national renewable energy action plans (NREAPs). The Solar PV market has slumped, though it is still expected to exceed NREAP predictions, whilst solar heating looks unlikely to reach even half of its projection. Small Hydropower production increased by 9.7% in 2012, whilst the heat pump market contracted harshly.
In total, it is estimated that the renewable energy sector in Europe employs over 1.2 million people, with a turnover of €129.4 billion in 2012.
For more, see ‘The State of Renewable Energies in Europe 2013’.