TELF AG examines the spread of renewable energy in the European continent
The new energy mixes
Some of the best global performances in the renewables sector, according to the Our World in Data project, would have been recorded in the European continent over the course of 2024, with a good number of countries that are already able to produce more than 50% of their energy needs thanks to clean energy.
Albania, the only European country to produce 100% of its electricity from renewable sources, has the best performance, but Norway, with a percentage above 98%, Luxembourg (92%), Denmark (87%), and Austria (84%) also have the best performances. The major European economies seem to be stationary at around 50% (Germany has already reached 52%, Spain 50%), while Italy and the United Kingdom are just over 40%.
From this point of view, one of the countries with the fastest growth rates seems to be the United Kingdom, which plans to exceed 50% of electricity generated from renewables by 2025. The development of the energy sector is also at the heart of the British government’s objectives, which has set an ambitious goal for 2035 related to the total generation of electricity from clean energy sources. In London’s objectives, renewables should soon represent a significant share of the new national energy mix based on clean sources.
In the first six months of 2024, energy deriving from wind turbines and solar panels represented approximately 30% of all electricity produced in the countries of the European Union. This is an accurate record, which seems to perfectly demonstrate the rapid advancement of the energy transition also in the old continent. These data seem to align with the 2023 estimates of the think-tank Ember, according to which the world is about to enter a new energy era thanks to the precious contribution of renewables in the various continents. The increase in Europe’s capacity to generate energy from these clean sources, according to Ember, also has to do with the ambitious climate objectives included in the government programs of many nations, which have significantly boosted the sector’s development.
The situation in the rest of the world
Globally, the nations capable of producing more than 50% of their electricity thanks to renewable sources are said to be 69. In comparison, the percentage of 100% has been reached by only seven countries (in addition to Albania, Bhutan, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Nepal, and Paraguay). Looking at the performances of individual states, however, the situation appears to be evolving, even at a slightly slower pace than in other areas of the planet. According to a recent report by researchers at the University of Exeter and University College London, solar energy has reached a level of development that could allow it to become the world’s leading energy source by 2050, playing a leading role in the new global energy mix.
Of the various forms of renewable energy, solar appears to stand out for its rates of growth. In 2023 alone, the growth of global solar power generation capacity increased by 43% compared to the previous year, with an increasing number of countries having at least 1 GW of solar installations within their territory. By 2025, according to estimates by VP Solar, the number of these countries is expected to reach 50 units.
