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Photovoltaic Library (PDF) – Image: Xpert.Digital / Benvenuto Cellini|Shutterstock.com

Large PDF library: Market monitoring and market intelligence on the topic of photovoltaics.

Data is reviewed and its relevance assessed at regular intervals. This usually yields a number of interesting pieces of information and documentation, which we summarize in a PDF presentation: our own data analyses and marketing intelligence, as well as external market observations.

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• Overview of Photovoltaics/Solar Library & Interesting Facts as PDFs for download

Electricity consumption – share of sectors worldwide – Image: Xpert.Digital

The statistic shows the structure of electricity consumption worldwide by sector in 2018. In 2018, the industrial sector consumed around 42 percent of the world's electricity.

Structure of global electricity consumption by sector in 2018

• Industry – 42%
• Private households – 26.9%
• Business and public sector – 21.5%
• Transport – 1.7%
• Other* – 7.9%

*Including agriculture

Gross electricity generation in Germany by energy source in the years 2000 to 2020 (in terawatt hours)

Electricity generation in Germany by energy source – Image: Xpert.Digital

The statistic shows the results of a survey on the acceptance of power generation facilities in the vicinity of one's place of residence. In December 2020, 47 percent of respondents stated that they would find a wind turbine in their neighborhood very good or rather good.

In 2020, 252 terawatt-hours of Germany's total gross electricity were generated from renewable energy sources. This corresponds to approximately 45 percent of the total electricity production. Over the past 20 years, the share of electricity generation from renewable energies has increased significantly. At the same time, hard coal and nuclear power, in particular, have experienced a significant decline.

Renewable energy

Renewable energy, unlike fossil fuels, is generated from renewable, sustainable energy sources. In Germany, wind power, particularly onshore, is the most important renewable energy source in terms of gross electricity generation. Biomass and photovoltaics follow. Germany leads Europe in terms of installed renewable energy capacity. Italy, Russia, and Spain follow at a considerable distance.

Fossil fuels

The share of fossil fuels in electricity generation in Germany has decreased in recent years. One reason for this is the planned phase-out of coal. The output of coal-fired power plants in Germany is to be steadily reduced over the next few years, with all coal-fired power plants scheduled to be shut down by 2038. Electricity generation using nuclear power is also to be stopped. The German government plans to phase out nuclear power by the end of 2022.

How green is Germany's electricity? – Image MaTiFo|Shutterstock.com

More and more electricity in Germany comes from wind, hydropower, and solar power. As the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) announced this week, the share of renewable energies in Germany's total electricity mix exceeded 40 percent for the first time in 2018. By comparison, the share of green electricity was 38.2 percent the previous year.

As the graphic shows, the largest share of green electricity last year came from wind power (20.4 percent). Solar energy came in second, with a share of 8.4 percent of net electricity generation in Germany.

The Fraunhofer ISE also noted that the hot, dry weather last year contributed to the increase in solar energy. The German government aims to increase the share of renewable energies to 65 percent by 2030.

To achieve this goal, some federal states are relying on mandatory solar power with photovoltaic systems on roofs and mandatory solar power for open parking areas that can be equipped with solar roofs, the so-called solar carports.

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• How green is Germany's electricity?

How green is Europe's energy? – @shutterstock | CarpathianPrince

It's a climate protection initiative: By 2020, the European Union (EU) aims to source 20 percent of its gross final energy consumption from renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power. EU member states have set their own individual targets for this. However, according to the latest Eurostat data, which refers to 2017, very few countries have yet achieved their climate goals.

Sweden, the most ambitious country in expanding renewable energy, already exceeded its 2017 target of 49 percent and currently leads the EU ranking with a share of 54.5 percent. In Finland, renewable energy accounts for 41 percent of gross final energy consumption – meaning the country has also already surpassed its targets.

Other countries, such as France and the Netherlands, lag far behind despite setting modest targets, as the graphic shows. Germany, with a share of 15.5 percent renewable energy, is below the EU average. Some German states aim to accelerate progress toward the EU targets by introducing mandatory solar panel installations. This includes a requirement for solar carports in open parking areas.

The situation in Austria, on the other hand, looks better: In 2017, the Alpine republic already obtained 32.6 percent of its energy from renewable sources and is well on its way to achieving its targets by 2020.

A country's gross final energy consumption includes all energy products such as electricity, district heating, gas and fuels that are used by private households, businesses, trade and services, industry and transport.

More information here:

• How green is Europe's energy?

CO2-neutral building “Powerhouse Telemark” – Photographer: Sindre Ellingsen / Copyright: Schüco International KG

Norway's climate protection goals are ambitious. The aim is to achieve a nearly CO2-neutral building stock by 2050. A pioneering example for the decarbonization of new office buildings is the "Powerhouse Telemark," which offsets its carbon footprint over its entire life cycle. Its innovative facade solution plays a key role in this.

Far beyond the horizon of the industrial town of Porsgrunn, the striking silhouette of the "Powerhouse Telemark" is visible. In sunshine, the eleven-story office tower sparkles like an XXL-sized amber diamond, its rooftop terrace offering a breathtaking view of the province's main town of approximately 35,000 inhabitants and the Frierfjord. Completed in the summer of 2020, the zero-emission building has become a symbol of the transition to a green economy in the region, which lies about 150 kilometers south of Oslo and boasts a long history as a progressive economic hub. The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Vemork, located in the same province as Porsgrunn, is home to one of the largest hydroelectric power plants of the early 20th century. The location for a "powerhouse" could hardly be more fitting.

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• Demonstrable environmental compatibility as a success factor

With a comprehensive package of regulations, the EU Commission aims to achieve its 2030 climate targets. As the graphic shows, emissions of greenhouse gases are to be reduced by 55 percent by then compared to 1990 levels. They are to be reduced to zero by 2050. The graphic is based on data from the European Union's Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR). This database includes CO2 emissions from all nations worldwide. All available sources from each country are compiled and aggregated to determine total national emissions. The data therefore provides a very accurate picture of actual global emissions by country.

The Commission wants CO2 emissions from new passenger cars to fall by 55 percent below current levels by 2030. Five years later, new cars must be completely emission-free. Emissions trading will also be expanded. The Commission intends to reduce the number of allowances more quickly and issue fewer free allowances. Shipping will also have to purchase emission allowances from 2023. Furthermore, a new emissions trading system is planned for the transport and building sectors, likely starting in 2026. This could make fuel and heating oil more expensive. The Commission proposes abolishing the tax exemption for aviation fuel. Aircraft and ships are to increasingly blend in climate-friendly fuels. Forecasts for the use of synthetic kerosene in aviation are still relatively cautious, as the graphic below shows.

The package of twelve legislative proposals is now being discussed among the 27 member states and in the European Parliament. Observers expect this process to take months. Ultimately, both sides must agree. Criticism of individual points has already emerged.

More information here:

• The EU's climate target