European Renewable Energy Federation has just released a report on the prices of renewable energy in the EU member countries.

Main points in the report:

1. A crucial time for renewable energy in Europe

   The fifth EREF report on Renewable Electricity Prices in the European Union comes out at very important time for renewables in Europe and globally. It is an interesting harvest of data which show price reduction at its best in countries which have introduced FiT mechanisms since many years and which follow cost digression policies in consequent review cycles in parallel to up-scaling of renewable energy deployment. It also underlines again that natural pre-conditions vary in the different countries and regions resulting in more or in less harvesting power from renewable sources and thus the need to reflect such differences in the support tariff paid per kWh. This right balancing is an important pre-condition for investment security. In the European Union over the coming decades 400 GW installed electricity production capacity has to be phased out and to be replaced. The majority of this old stock is nuclear or coal fired. How the new Energy design is developed will be crucial for Europe’s energy and climate policy. EREF calls for strict priority for drastic energy efficiency and rapid deployment of renewable energies with adequate change in grid structure, storage and demand side management.
   Europe needs policies to phase out especially the housing sector from an energy consumption equation. Modern technologies also through re-furbishing of old building can drastically reduce energy consumption and the installation of renewable technologies- house integrated or in local vicinity, enable this sector to become energy neutral or to change into plus energy producers. And this means it enables Europe’s citizen to become self responsible for their energy supply and
   consumption and to increase our sustainable energy self-esteem.

Since January 2009, the European Union has committed itself to binding targets for an increase of renewable energies to 20 % of the total gross energy consumption in the EU by 2020. After more than a year of intensive discussions Europe agreed on a milestone directive for the promotion of renewable energies. The Directive is embedded in a set of Climate and Energy directives, guidelines and decisions with the overall objective:

20% Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction compared to 1990
– Independent EU commitment
• 30% GHG reduction compared to 1990
– In context and under condition of an international agreement
• 20% renewable share of final energy consumption
• 10% biofuels in transport, with focus on
– production being sustainable
– priority for second generation biofuels commercially available
– renewable electricity for transport

In a nutshell, the European Directive for the promotion of renewable energy:
1. Integrates all renewable energy applications be it for heating, transport or electricity under one legal framework
2. Sets mandatory national targets for renewable energy shares, including 10% biofuels share in transport, in 2020
3. Requires National Action Plans, which have to be submitted to the European Commission on the basis of a structure the Commission will develop until 2009
4. Gives flexibility for Member States to reach part of their target through
5. Statistical transfer between Member States
6. Joint projects between Member States and third countries with existing or planned interconnector capacity (under certain conditions and provided
RES energy reaches the EU) )
7. Encourages joint Support mechanisms between MS, but leaves it in the responsibility of Member States to apply support mechanisms which suit best their
national energy and overall policy
8. Sets clear rules for disclosure quality of Guarantees of origin
9. Requires reduction of administrative and regulatory barriers, improvements in provision of information and training and improves renewables’ access to the
electricity grid
10. Creates a sustainability regime for biofuels
11. Asks the Member States to define national sectoral targets helping to reach the binding overall national targets.

Currently Achieved Standings for electricity produced from renewable energy sources in the EU members.

The report is available here:http://www.erec.org/fileadmin/erec_docs/Documents/EREF%20Prices%20for%20Renewable%20Energies%20in%20Europe%20-%20Report%202009.pdf

To see the prices for different types of renewable energy sources look below in the similar posts or go to Energy In Europe Category.

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