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Renewable Energy

Information

Energy Sources

Consumption

More than half of the electricity generated in the EU comes from the fossil fuels of coal, oil and gas which cause serious environmental damage and emit carbon dioxide - the main cause of the greenhouse effect. Around one third of EU electricity is generated in nuclear power plants which create their own problems of waste disposal and the possibility of nuclear accidents.

Renewable energy sources - such as wind, water, sun - don't emit greenhouse gases and they're not limited. Using renewable energy sources means to use natural cycles like the movement of water, the wind and the sun (which are moving, blowing, shining anyway) to produce energy. It means also to produce energy without destroying the environment, without causing cancer through atomic radiation or asthma through emissions, without exploiting natural resources

Energy produced by the use of renewable sources is often called green energy. Green energy is a general term for renewable energy that private persons and companies buy from their energy supplier. At the moment, green energy refers to electricity from renewable energy sources. However, in the future it may be possible to buy 'green gas' or 'green heat'

General information about green electricity in the UK, Netherlands, Sweden and Belgium: www.greenprices.com

Overview Energy Sources

Wind energy - One 600 kilowatt wind turbine can supply hundreds of households with electricity. Worldwide production of electricity from wind increases by 20 to 30% each year.

Solar power - Solar cells produce electricity directly from sunlight, whether or not connected to the power grid

Hydropower - Large-scale hydropower uses a storage reservoir, but small-scale hydropower with run-of-river plants is also possible

Biomass - Wood and straw can be used as fuels for electricity production. The CO2 (carbon dioxide) produced is taken up by the next generation of trees and plants

Cogeneration (CHP) - During the conventional energy production lots of energy is lost through waste heat. This excess heat can be used to warm buildings around the plant or can be used to make more electricity. Using the waste heat from power generation in this way is known as cogeneration or combined heat and power (CHP). Combined production of heat and power reduces energy consumption by 20 to 30% compared to separate production.

Waste combustion - Combustion of waste and generating electricity from the heat produced can save on the consumption of primary fossil fuels, but it should not hamper the move to reduce waste and recycle as much as possible. This can be a problem because waste incineration plants are expensive to build and once built lock the region into providing a regular supply of waste. This seriously undermines efforts to reduce or recycle waste.

Conventional electricity - Most electricity is still generated from fossil fuels or nuclear energy. Both are harmful to the environment

Hydropower, solar and wind energy don't cause direct carbon dioxide emissions. The emission of carbon dioxide with the energy production from biomass (energy from organic material) is compensated by the uptake of CO2 by plants in equal amounts as emitted. Also terrestrial heat and tidal energy can be used for the electricity production. Electricity generation from cogeneration and waste combustion plants can bring important environmental benefits compared to conventional power production but still they are emitting greenhouse gases. When in these processes - like cogeneration and waste combustion - fossil fuels are used, we speak of energy saving because there is less carbon dioxide emitted than with conventional energy producing processes. When biomass is used, we speak of renewable energy sources.

Energy Consumption by Fuels in the EU

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ENERGY IN GENERAL

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