Documents energy source 129 results

"The aim of this report is to provide an update of the state of the art of wind energy technology and to identify how EC funded projects contributed to technology advancements. Moreover, this version of the LCEO Technology DevelopThe aim of this report is to provide an update of the state of the art of wind energy technology and to identify how EC funded projects contributed to technology advancements. Moreover, this version of the LCEO Technology Development Report complements the last version [JRC 2019a] which explained main characteristics on wind energy with detailed development trends of the main technical indicators in onshore and offshore wind.A main focus is on the progress and technology readiness level (TRL) of R&D wind energy projects in the European context funded through the main European research funding instruments. Particularly for offshore wind energy, the progress within the SET-Plan1 Implementation Working Group (IWG) for Offshore Wind is analysed against its research priorities.As such, this report sets a clear emphasis on the technology status, research landscape and deployment and development trends in the European market and provides an outlook for wind energy under a scenario compatible with the SET-Plan targets and striving for full decarbonisation of the European energy system until 2050.ent Report complements the last version [JRC 2019a] which explained main characteristics on wind energy with detailed development trends of the main technical indicators in onshore and offshore wind. A main focus is on the progress and technology readiness level (TRL) of R&D wind energy projects in the European context funded through the main European research funding instruments. Particularly for offshore wind energy, the progress within the SET-Plan1 Implementation Working Group (IWG) for Offshore Wind is analysed against its research priorities. As such, this report sets a clear emphasis on the technology status, research landscape and deployment and development trends in the European market and provides an outlook for wind energy under a scenario compatible with the SET-Plan targets and striving for full decarbonisation of the European energy system until 2050."

"Eastern Wielkopolska is an area that is economically heavily dependent on coal and energy production (it generates 5 percent of Poland's electricity) and is characterized by the presence of the most polluting plants in the region: greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the Eastern Wielkopolska amounted to 7.62 million Mg in 2019, about 62 percent of all emissions in Wielkopolska. The energy poverty and the challenge of changing the heating structure of both private and public buildings are pressing. ..."

"Rapid deployment of renewable energy (RE) is critical to meet rising energy needs and mitigate climate change. The energy infrastructure needed to meet net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions goals will have a large footprint that could impact people and biodiversity, as well as create conflicts that jeopardise investments and slow the clean energy transition. Materials needed for RE generation are also creating a new geography of mining impacts. Scientific assessments have shown the potential to meet the world's RE needs by channeling development in ways that optimise for carbon mitigation while protecting natural ecosystems and supporting equitable transition. Successful navigation of this narrow pathway will require early and careful planning, sourcing, and operation of RE facilities. The G20 policy guidance to the energy and finances sectors must ensure alignment with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the Paris Agreement, and SDGs to enable effective and green transition."

"This edition of the Global Energy and Climate Outlook (GECO 2023) presents an updated view on the implications of energy and climate policies worldwide to reaching the goals of the Paris Agreement, and contributes to JRC's work in the UNFCCC policy process. This report provides insight into the investment and related new jobs required by the transition to a low-carbon economy. Current climate policy pledges and targets imply a rapid decline in greenhouse gas emissions. Still, there remains both an implementation gap in adopting policies aligned with countries' mid-term Nationally Determined Contributions and Long-Term Strategies, and a collective ambition gap in reducing emissions to reach the Paris Agreement targets of pursuing efforts to limit global warming to 1.5°C. Global emissions are projected to peak during the current decade, but failing to implement additional policies puts the world on a trajectory towards a long-term temperature increase of 3°C. The current decade is key for keeping the 1.5°C target possible. GECO 2023 highlights the global investment needs of the 1.5°C scenario. Accelerated decarbonisation efforts are needed across all sectors of the economy. Energy sector investments need to triple this decade, doubling energy efficiency rates and bringing renewables deployment to 11 TW by 2030. This transition comes along with substantial investment spill-over and stimulus effects, boosting investment and employment across value chains, e.g. in the construction and electrical and equipment goods manufacturing."

"Climate change is happening, and the information and communication technology (ICT) industry is providing solutions to enable a more sustainable future. ICT enables enhanced manufacturing processes, optimized logistics, solutions supporting environmental protection and solutions facilitating climate change adaptation, for example. The performance of ICT hardware and electronics has increased tremendously. The capabilities of microchips have increased ~100,000-fold in the past 30 years and the power efficiency has increased a million-fold. Yet, various reports show that the ICT sector increases its carbon footprint and energy consumption, while other sectors are lowering their impact on our planet. Thus, there seems to be an adverse development ongoing where most industry sectors can lower their carbon footprint while the ICT sector increases its consumption. This paper looks at the development of the ICT sector and seeks to understand the current development. We argue that a major reason for the rebound effect we are seeing within the ICT sector is the lack of understanding in energy consumption and the cost pressures of developing digital services. The results are software and services that could be much greener and energy efficient but seem to rather go toward a darker direction. The ICT industry and software engineering needs to do a clear change of course and take accountability of their activities."

"The implications of energy transitions extend beyond the often-discussed effects on jobs and retraining opportunities for workers in the carbon-intensive industries. This paper argues that the concept of justice as recognition has an untapped potential for exploring diverse types of injustices that have not received sufficient attention so far. This paper contributes to the critical discussion of the concept of recognition-based energy justice by considering recognition theory by Fraser, which has become an established approach in energy justice literature, and other recognition theories, which have already been discussed in environmental justice literature, in the context of energy transitions. Five conceptions of recognition are distinguished: the understanding of recognition as (a) equal standing without cultural domination, disrespect, and non-recognition; (b) deeper inclusion (inclusive narratives, rhetoric and greetings); (c) respect for identity and culture; (d) self-esteem; and (e) the absence of violence. The conceptual discussion is followed by an empirical analysis of recognition-based justice in the case of the planned coal phase-out in Poland. Building on semi-structured interviews with stakeholders and diverse texts, the analysis demonstrates that in the case of the planned coal phase-out in Poland, three aspects of recognition may be particularly relevant – non-recognition in energy transitions, the self-esteem of local communities, and respect for culture and identity. The paper then argues that a pluralist approach to studies of recognition in energy transitions based on awareness about socio-cultural contexts of studied cases is necessary."

"The decarbonization of European economies is an established reality that has been accelerating in recent years. The focus of EU policy is on the dynamic transformation of the energy balances of Member States, which most significantly impacts economies reliant on coal. In the context of emerging megatrends, this study sets out to determine the extent of changes occurring in the economies of European Union countries in relation to the Green Deal paradigm. The objective of this article is to introduce a comprehensive method developed by the authors for assessing the dynamics of energy transformation in the European Union countries under study. This method is divided into two phases. Initially, countries are classified according to the energy transformation dynamics matrix. Subsequently, the actual assessment of energy transformation dynamics is conducted using a novel composite indicator, the ETPI (Energy Transition Progress Index), based on analyses for 2022 and 2013 using Eurostat data. The results identify leaders in energy transformation, such as Sweden, Germany, Denmark, France, Italy, Spain, Austria, Finland, and the Netherlands, while highlighting significant challenges facing Poland and Bulgaria."

"The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) produces comprehensive, reliable datasets on renewable energy capacity and use worldwide. Renewable energy statistics 2023 provides datasets on power-generation capacity for 2013-2022, actual power generation for 2013-2021 and renewable energy balances for over 150 countries and areas for 2020-2021.

Data was obtained from a variety of sources, including an IRENA questionnaire, official national statistics, industry association reports, consultant reports and news articles. Major trends in the sector worldwide are outlined in the accompanying brief, Renewable energy highlights.

The yearbook also includes statistics on investments in renewables, compiled from the OECD-DAC database and 20 major multi-lateral, bilateral and national development financial institutions, spanning 2012-2021. The investment data is presented in millions of United States dollars (USD million) at 2020 prices.

Data on renewable power capacity represents the maximum net generating capacity of power plants and other installations that use renewable energy sources to produce electricity. For most countries and technologies, the data reflects the capacity installed and connected at the end of the calendar year.

Capacity is presented in megawatts (MW), while generation is presented in gigawatt-hours (GWh). Pumped storage, although included as part of hydropower data, is excluded from total renewable energy.

Electricity generation and capacity datasets from the year 2000 onwards are also available through a dashboard on IRENA's Data & Statistics page."

"European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has been promoting the concept of a “geopolitical Commission” since her appointment in late 2019. Since then, successive crises—the Covid-19 pandemic, the ever-worsening climate crisis, and the war in Ukraine—have tested the Commission's intention to turn the concept into practice. This is particularly evident in the field of energy politics following Russia's attack on Ukraine. When the war started, Russia was the EU's largest energy supplier. The EU's desire to end its energy dependency on Russia called for “geopolitical actorness,” notably swift political and diplomatic initiatives to find alternative suppliers considering the rapidly changing geopolitical circumstances. To what extent and how did this occur? Did the Commission achieve its goal of becoming a geopolitical actor in the field of energy politics? What does geopolitical actorness imply for the EU's energy policy and low-carbon transition? The article addresses these questions through an analysis of policy documents published by the von der Leyen Commission between 2019–2023, including the communications on the European Green Deal and Critical Raw Materials Resilience, the EU Hydrogen Strategy, the Global Gateway, the REPowerEU Plan, the External Energy Strategy, the Solar Energy Strategy, and the Green Deal Industrial Plan. The article argues that EU policy priorities progressively shifted from a focus on broad multilateral cooperation and open strategic autonomy to more narrowly defined strategic partnerships with “like-minded” Western and neighbouring countries. The 2022 war in Ukraine was a strong catalyst for this shift."