Renewable Energy Capacity in the EU: The current market, drivers to growth, future capacity forecasts

Electrical production capacity has had historically an energy mix consisting primarily of fossil fuels including gas, coal and oil, backed up with a volume of nuclear and hydro power.

The EU-27 countries are trying to lower carbon emissions, and build an interconnected, efficient energy system. New targets have been created by the EC that request that by 2020 the EU-27 countries reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20% (compared with 1990 levels) by 2020; improve energy efficiency by 20% by 2020; raise the share of renewable energy to 20 % by 2020; increase the level of biofuels in transport fuel to 10% by 2020.

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In trying to meet these objectives, a new energy market is beginning to evolve. Recent addition has been made to the energy mix by way of renewable energy technologies which include power from the wind – wind turbines, and power from the sun – solar cells, and geothermal – relying on the heat that can be found at varying degrees of depth into the Earth’s surface. In the last decade newly installed renewable energy technologies are starting to gain a notable share of the market.

Key findings

• Germany has the largest volume of installed renewable energy technology topping the market in wind and solar, the two field leading technologies. Germany has installed around 2 GW of grid connected solar photovoltaics annually for the last two years.
• Hydroelectric power makes up almost two thirds of the current renewable energy electrical generation market.
• Geothermal energy only utilized for electricity generation in Italy, Iceland, Portugal and Turkey. The market share of geothermal capacity only accounts for 1% of the total installed capacity. Iceland makes up 61% of the geothermal market share.
• In terms of market share, the annual installed capacity of wind has grown from 0% in 1995 to 30% in 2007.

Key features of this report

• Analysis of energy type volumes, capacity installed and generation output across European countries.
• Market projections to 2020, including an evaluation of energy type and national and international growth potential.
• Overview of trends impacting on and shaping innovation in the energy market.
• New renewable energy technology analysis including innovation, capacity investment.

Use this report to

• Achieve a quick and comprehensive understanding of how European market trends and legislation are influencing the development of the renewable energy market.
• Realize up to date competitive intelligence through a comprehensive review of European markets in the renewable energy market between 1990 and 2008.
• Assess the emerging trends in renewable energy technology – wind, solar, geothermal, hydroelectric, tidal, wave – capacity and generation.

Discover

• What are the drivers shaping and influencing new capacity installed in the energy industry?
• How will renewable energy technologies capacity share perform to 2020? What are the opportunities?
• What are the forecast market growth rates 2008-2030? Which markets will see the highest value growth and which the highest volume growth?
• Which regions and countries offer the greatest opportunity for growth?