Photovoltaic barometer 2012

68 647,2 MWp in the European Union at the end of 2012
After the euphoria of 2011, the European Union's photovoltaic market slowed right down in 2012. EurObserv'ER puts newly-connected capacity in 2012 at 16.5 GWp compared to 22 GWp in 2011, which is a 25% slide. At global level the market generally held up, with just over 30 GWp installed, bolstered by the build-up of the America and Asian markets.

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Wind power barometer

+12,3 % the growth of the total wind power capacity in the EU in 2012
Wind power makes further inroads into the world's electricity mix every year. It looks as though global wind power capacity will increase by another 44 184MW in 2012, and so raise global installed capacity to more than 281 GW. Growth in 2012 was driven by the United States, which chalked up a new installation record, and Europe, which remains a safe bet in the world market. The Asian market weakened a little but its potential for this year nonetheless looks bright.
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Solid biomass barometer

-2,9 % the growth of primary energy production from solid biomass in the EU between 2010 and 2011.
The winter of 2011 was exceptionally mild, even in Northern Europe, with unusually high temperatures. As a result the demand for firewood and solid biomass fuel was low. The European Union’s primary energy production from solid biomass between 2010 and 2011 contracted by 2.9% slipping to 78.8 Mtoe. Solid biomass electricity production continued to grow, driven by the additional take-up of biomass co-firing.
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Biogas barometer

+ 18,2 % biogas electricity production growth in 2011.
Biogas energy recovery for both electricity and heat application has increased in the European Union. The magnitude of the reduction in the primary energy figure can be played down as it can be explained by a change in reporting method of the main producer country, Germany. New markets are starting to emerge in its footsteps, but the economic crisis and regulatory restrictions do not auger well for their expansion.

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Renewable municipal waste barometer

+ 2,6 % the growth of primary energy output from renewable municipal waste in the EU relative to 2010.
Energy recovery by incinerating household refuse in the European Union led to renewable energy production of more than 8.2 million tonnes of oil equivalent in 2011, which is a 2.6% increase on 2010. While the increase in waste-to-energy recovery is preferable to using landfills, under no circumstances should this growth be made at the cost of waste prevention and recycling policies.
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Biofuels barometer

+ 3,1 % the increase in EU biofuel transport consumption in 2011
The European Union governments no longer view the rapid increase in biofuel consumption as a priority. Between 2010 and 2011 biofuel consumption increased by 3.1%, which translates into 14 million tonnes of oil equivalent (toe) used in 2011 compared to 13.6 million toe in 2010. The European Union’s attention has shifted to setting up sustainability systems to verify that the biofuel used in the various countries complies with the Renewable Energy Directive’s sustainability criteria.
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Solar thermal and concentrated solar power barometer

27 545 MWth: the EU's solar thermal base to date at the end of 2011

1 157,2 MWe: the CSP plant electrical generating capacity in the EU at the end of 2011
After two years of sharp decline, the European solar thermal market is bottoming out. The EurObserv’ER survey findings are that the installation figure fell just 1.9% in comparison with 2010, giving a newly-installed collector area of 3.7 million m². The concentrated solar power sector has been forging ahead alongside the heat production applications, and at the end of 2011 installed capacity passed the one gigawatt mark in Spain for the first time with 1 157.2 MWe
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Photovoltaic barometer

51 357,4 MWp in the EU at the end of 2011
The global photovoltaic market has continued to expand despite the economic and financial crisis. Capacity in excess of 29 000 MWp was connected in 2011, which is roughly 12 200 MWp more than in 2010. The European Union is still the main hive of installation activity. It added more than 21 500 additional MWp of capacity to the grid last year, while outside the EU, the surging Chinese, American and Japanese markets vouch for the enormous growth potential offered by solar power worldwide.
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Wind power barometer

5,9 % decrease in the EU wind turbine market registered between 2010 and 2011
Notwithstanding the economic crisis affecting most of the globe’s major economies, wind energy continues to gain supporters around the world. Global wind power capacity increased by 40.5 GW between 2010 and 2011 compared to a 39 GW rise between 2009 and 2010, after deduction of decommissioned capacity. By the end of 2011 global installed wind turbine capacity should stand at around 238.5 GW, and much of the world’s growth is being driven by capacity build-up in the emerging markets. In contrast some of the key wind energy markets may be showing fault lines.
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Solid biomass barometer

+ 8 % The growth of primary energy production from solid biomass in the EU between 2009 and 2010
The european Union Member states’ political resolve to develop the energy potential of solid biomass has started to pay off, as in 2010 there were clear signs that growth of primary energy production had quickened pace. The output figure rose to 79.3 Mtoe in 2010, which is 8% up on 2009 and deserves comparison with the previous year’s 4% rise (from 70.6 Mtoe in 2008). The trend, which was driven deeper by europe’s particularly cold winter of 2009-2010, demonstrates that the economic downturn failed to scuttle the Member states’ efforts to structure the solid biomass sector.

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Ground-source heat pump barometer

2,9% slide by the GHSP market in the EU between 2009 and 2010
The double whammy dealt by the economic crisis and housing slump has stifled expansion of the ground-source heat pump market in many European countries. The European Union market contracted for the second year running (by 2.9% between 2009 and 2010), and this despite the fact that more than 100 000 units were sold over the twelve-month period, taking the number of installed units past the one million mark.

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Biofuels barometer

13,6 % the increase in EU biofuel consumption in 2010
In 2010 biofuel continued to gnaw away at petrol and diesel consumption in the European Union. However its pace backs the assertion that EU biofuel consumption growth slackened off. In the transport sector, it increased by only 1.7 Mtoe compared to 2.7 Mtoe in 2009. The final total biofuel consumption figure for 2010 should hover at around 13,9 Mtoe.

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Solar thermal and concentrated solar power barometer

638,4 MWe The CSP plant electrical generating capacity
in the EU at the end of 2010
As could be expected, the recession cast long shadows over the European solar thermal market throughout 2010. For the second year running, new installations for hot water production and space heating (collectors) decreased. According to the EurObserv’ER survey the newly-assigned surface area was 3.8 million m2 in 2010, down from 4.2 million m2 in 2009 and 4.6 million m2 in 2008. At the same time, the European high-temperature solar sector related to electricity production has been taking shape alongside the heat-producing applications, with 638.4 MW already installed. Spain accounts for almost all of this capacity, and a further five EU countries, mostly Mediterranean, intend to develop the sector.

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PHOTOVOLTAIC BAROMETER

29327,7 MWp in the EU
The photovoltaic sector is continuing on track, just as the extent of solar energy’s electricity-generating potential is dawning on the public mind. The annual global installation figure was up more than twofold in 2010 (rising from just short of 7 000 MWp in 2009).
It leapt to over 16 000 MWp, bringing worldwide installed photovoltaic capacity close to 38000 MWp.

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WIND POWER barometer

5,8 % decrease in the EU wind turbine market registered between 2009 and 2010
For the first time in 20 years, growth of the global wind power market faltered, stumbling by 5.8% to 35.7 GW in 2010 (37.9 GW in 2009). The North American market has taken a knock and the European market has slowed down. On the other hand Asian market growth has crept up steadily and now has a grip on more than half the global market.

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Renewable municipal waste barometer

7,7 Mtep of primary energy produced from the combustion of renewable municipal waste in the European Union in 2009
Approximately half the energy produced in Union European’s municipal waste incinération plants is obtained from fermentescible waste (ie biomass waste). To date, incinération is still the main energy conversion channel for renewable municipal waste, for in 2009, biomass energy output stood at 7.7 million toe, which is a 3.3% increase on 2008. Furthermore, this amount could be doubled, assuming a constant level of waste, by investing in modernisation and combustion efficiency improvements.

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Biogas Barometer

8,3 Mtep of primary biogas energy produced in 2009 in the EU
The biogas sector has never before aroused so much attention as it does today. Elected officers and investors’ interest has been fired by the gradual introduction of regulatory restrictions on the treatment of organic waste and the renewable energy commitments recently made by the european Union member states. The biogas sector is gradually deserting its core activities of waste cleanup and treatment and getting involved in energy production, with so much enthusiasm that in some countries its scope of action has extended to using energy crops. Across the european Union, the sector’s progress is as clear as daylight, as in 2009, primary energy growth leapt by a further 4,3%.

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Solid biomass barometer

72,8 Mtep primary energy production from solid biomass in the EU in 2009
Solid biomass leaves the other renewable energy sources standing in terms of use and potential. Primary energy output from solid biomass combustion rose in 2009 yet again to a new height of 72.8 Mtoe, which equates to a 3.6% increase on 2008. The reason for this exploit, which prevailed over the tight economic context, is the resolve made by many countries to rely on this energy to achieve their european electricity or heat production target levels.

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Biofuels barometer

12.1 Mtoe of biofuels consumed in the transport sector in the EU in 2009
European Union biofuel use for transport reached the 12 million tonnes of oil equivalent (mtoe) threshold during 2009, heralding a further drop in the pace of the sector’s growth, which rose by only 18.7% between 2008 and 2009 – just 1.9 mtoe of consumption over the previous year. The biofuel incorporation rate in all fuels used by transport in the EU is unlikely to pass 4% in 2009, which is a very long way short of the 5.75% goal for 2010 set in the 2003 European biofuel directive, which would require around 18 mtoe of biofuel use.

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Solar thermal barometer

22 786,1 MWth in the EU
In 2008, the European solar thermal market put on a strong spurt only to mark time in 2009 with about 4.2 million m2 installed, which is 443 708 m2 less year-on-year. The economic crisis has had a ripple effect on the European market in the shape of the Euro crisis at the beginning of May, so the slump seems set to continue on into 2010.

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Photovoltaic Barometer

15861,2 MWp in the EU
The global photovoltaic market expanded again in 2009. Germany set a new system installation record while the capacity build-up of the major solar photovoltaic markets contained the fallout generated by the Iberian market derailment. The European Union has the highest photovoltaic plant capacity, with almost 5.5 GWp installed in 2009.

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Wind power barometer

+13,3% EU wind turbine market growth between 2008 and 2009
The global wind power market not only repelled the strictures of the financial crisis,but according to initial estimates, saw the installation of 37 GW, which is almost 10 GW up on 2008. China and the United States registered particularly steady growth and the European Union also picked up momentum to break its installation record.

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Solid biomass barometer

+2.3% the growth of primary energy production from solid biomass in the EU between 2007 and 2008
The economic and financial crisis has not brought solid biomass energy growth to a standstill. Primary energy production in the European Union member states increased in 2008 by 2.3%, which represents a gain of 1.5 million tonnes of oil equivalent over 2007. This growth was particularly marked in electricity production which increased output by 10.8% over 2007, an additional 5.6 TWh.

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Heat pump barometer

+9,5% GSHP market growth in the EU
between 2007 and 2008
Ground source heat pumps have gradually consolidated their foothold as a comfor­table, economic and environmentally-friendly form of heating, with over 100,000 units ins­talled annually for the last three years in the countries of the European Union. EurObser­v’ER has taken a snapshot of this technology, and also for the first time included air source heat pumps, in accordance with the European directive that has reintroduced them into the field of renewable energies.

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BIOFUELS BAROMETER

+28,5% growth in the consumption of biofuels for transport in the EU between 2007 and 2008
With almost 10 million tons of oil equivalent (Mtoe), biofuel consumption in 2008 represented a 3.3% share of the total consumption of fuels devoted to transport in the European Union. The rate of progression of the sector marked time however with growth of 28.5% between 2007 and 2008 compared to 45.7% between 2006 and 2007. Certain EU countries will have to redouble efforts in the next two years to come into line with the European biofuels directive which aims for an incorporation rate of 5.75% by 2010.

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SOLAR THERMAL BAROMETER

+51,4% growth of the EU solar thermal market

The European solar thermal system market grew spectacularly in 2008 with over 4.6 million m2 installed as against less than 3.1 millionm2 in 2007. This was largely due to the doubling of the German market was largely responsible, but strong growth in Southern Europe also played a vital part. While 2009 is looking uncertain, the medium and long-term growth prospects are still very exciting.

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PHOTOVOLTAIC BAROMETER

9 533,3 MWc in the EU

Spain and Germany set the pace for the world photovoltaic market in 2008, which grew to more than twice its 2007 size. The European Union continued to drive photocell installation with an additional 4 592.3 MWp in 2008, or 151.6% growth over 2007. However, European growth prospects for the photovoltaic market in 2009 are being dampened by the global financial crisis and the scheduled slow-down of the Spanish market.

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WIND ENERGY BAROMETER

65 GW in EU

The globalisation of wind energy is on the move. Installed wind power worldwide raced past the symbolic threshold of 100,000 MW in the course of the year with an installed capacity estimated at 120,823.5 MW worldwide. The world has never known an energy sector develop so quickly. Although growth in the European Union market fell slightly in 2008 (- 1.8% at 8,447.1 MW), growth was spectacular in the United States (+ 59.4% at 8,358MW) and in China (+ 90.7% at 6,300 MW).

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SOLID BIOMASS BAROMETER

66.4 MTOE of solid biomass produced in the
european union in 2007

Primary energy production from solid biomass increased more slowly in the 27-member European Union in 2007. First available estimations evaluate production in the region of 66.4 Mtoe, i.e. only 0.7 Mtoe more than in 2006. While the exceptional climatic conditions of 2007 explain this slowdown, evolutions remain contrasted between the different EU countries and do not always reflect the same realities.

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SOLAR THERMAL BAROMETER

A 2 000 MWTH market

After two years of very strong growth, the solar thermal market (taking all technologies (including unglazed flexible collectors into account) marked time in 2007 with 6.9% less collectors being sold with respect to year 2006. In the end, this market reached 2.9 million m2 vs. 3.1 million m2 in 2006, i.e. an equivalent capacity of more than 2 000 MWth. This decrease is explained for a large part by a strong decline of the German market, the largest market of the European Union. Conversely, other countries are continuing to develop their markets and are showing double-digit growth rates.

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BIOGAS BAROMETER

5.9 MTOE RECOVERED IN 2007 IN EU

The major increase in the price of fossil fuels has made biogas more attractive.The applications of biogas – which were once limited to recycling and/or recovering energy from waste – have widened with the use of energy crops. This has stimulated European production, which has now reached 5.9 Mtep, i.e., a 20.5% increase in relation to 2006.

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Photovoltaic

Photovoltaic energy barometer - Total UE installed capacity in 2007 : 4689.5 MWP

Thanks to a German market at its peak associated with the rise in importance of the Spanish and Italian markets, the European Union established a new record for photovoltaic installations. According to first estimates, 1 541.2 MWp were installed in 2007 (+57% with respect to 2006),bringing total EU installed capacity up 4 689.5 MWp.

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Solid biomass barometer

62.4 mtep produced in 2006

Primary energy production from solid biomass (wood, wood waste and other solid vegetal and animal materials) reached 62.4 million tons oil equivalent (Mtoe) in 2006, i.e. 3.1 Mtoe more than in 2005. The primary energy coming from the direct combustion of renewable origin solid urban waste in incineration units can also be added to this figure. In 2006, this represented a production of 5.3 Mtoe, i.e. 0.1 Mtoe more than in 2005.

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