What’s powering Renewable Energy in Europe?
An article looking at the future of renewable energy in Europe using data from over 300 sources.
Written by
Andrew Downs
Director at White Space Strategy
Europe needs renewable energy. We all know the pressing reasons why but with a patchwork quilt of different geographies, jurisdictions and priorities just what is being achieved? It turns out quite a lot! We’ve spent the past few months analysing more than 300 different data sources to establish the trends and brought them together in a new paper – The Future of Renewable Energy in Europe.
I encourage you to download the full report but here are some of the highlights. Alongside growing public opinion and the need for greater energy sovereignty, we have seen the emergence of new and more affordable technologies. The result has been the setting of even more ambitious energy targets across Europe.
In July 2021 the EU Commission proposed to update the EU target on renewable energy sources in the energy mix from 32% to 40%.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine prompted the EU to raise this target to 45%. As total final energy consumption includes electricity production, transport, heating, and cooling, meeting that target would mean producing at least 69% of electricity from renewables.
The European Green Deal, with its twin principal objectives of climate neutrality by 2050 and a 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, has spurred the European Commission to action.
Today, more than 30 strategies and action plans for the accelerated adoption of renewables are in play as a consequence of the relatively fast-paced legislative and administrative commitment.
Investment is reaping rewards
As a result, the EU is experiencing record-breaking energy generation from renewables, and this is set to continue. According to the European Commission’s 2022 State of the Energy Union report:
“The EU generated a record 12% of its electricity from solar from May to August 2022, and 13% from wind. Early indications suggest that 2022 will be a record year for the European solar photovoltaics market, with an annual deployment growth of 17-26% in the largest EU countries’ markets.”
Across the markets assessed, the current capacity of energy generation from solar is approximately 200GW. This is set to double to 400GW by 2030 and hit an astonishing 1,400GW by 2050. In doing so, solar generation will need to be expanded more than 7 times its current capacity in less than 30 years.
These drastic increases are not limited to solar. The current capacity for onshore wind will increase by 50GW to 250GW by 2030 and is planned to increase to 800GW by 2050. Offshore wind capacity is also scheduled to increase by a factor of 5 to 100GW by 2030 and then further catapult to 300GW by 2050.
Today hydropower and combined onshore and offshore wind are the biggest contributors to the renewables sector within Europe. Solar, however, is expected to grow most significantly. Whilst wind generation (and other renewable sources) will continue to accelerate, they are destined to be significantly outpaced and outgrown by solar in the next few years.
Skilled people with mobile technology required
Europe has set itself an ambitious plan to reimagine its energy infrastructure. This will inevitably require a skilled and well equipped workforce to deliver on the ambitious goals. In the next 3 decades, countries will need to leverage and grow their experienced teams of developers, manufacturers, installers, and maintenance engineers to match the targets they’ve set.
In facilitating this transition, a substantial number of rugged, dependable, and secure mobile devices capable of operating in extreme conditions will be required across Europe. I couldn’t think of a better use for a TOUGHBOOK device than helping Europe transition to renewable energy.
Read more insights…
blog
Looking to 2025: The Technologies and Trends Driving Greater Productivity for Mobile Workers
Advances in mobile technology and next generation applications continue to empower extreme mobile workers in the field, wherever they are. Here are the top AI productivity trends and technologies that will benefit mobile workers in 2025.
blog
Empowering Human-Centric Digital Transformation Through AI
Digital transformation is evolving rapidly with AI at its forefront. However, successful digital transformation initiatives depend on more than just cutting-edge technology, as we learnt from a recent manufacturing-focused IndustryX event.
whitepaper
Expert Roundtables: Automation & AI in Electronics Manufacturing
In this research we explore the appetite for different wireless technology adoption, expected applications and benefits, the maturity of rollout projects, any barriers to adoption and general viewpoints about each technology.
blog
The future of mobile IT – answers to trends and the complex challenges of mobile working
Those on the front lines ensuring we have electricity and running water or saving lives need end-to-end solutions tailored to specific infrastructures and applications.
Sorry there was an error...
The files you selected could not be downloaded as they do not exist.
You selected items.
Continue to select additional items or download selected items together as a zip file.
You selected 1 item.
Continue to select additional items or download the selected item directly.
Share page
Share this link via:
Twitter
LinkedIn
Xing
Facebook
Or copy link: