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Renewable Energy Journal
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Just published The directive for electricity from renewables
Denmark Biogas does it all!
Germany
PHOTOVOLTAIC YEAR ONE
E D I T O R I A L
Toulouse, heading for The Hague

T
he year 2000 could be a milestone in the progress made by renewable energies in Europe. Several countries like Spain, Germany and Denmark have set up systems favouring green electricity production, and the European Directive targeting harmonisation of such incentive mechanisms, in the near future, is once again on the agenda. The first global studies show that nearly one million new jobs should be created in the renewable energies sector over the next 20 years. Enough to encourage a voluntarism, whose beginnings can already be glimpsed, to reach the White Paper target of raising the share of renewable energies in total consumption of the European Union countries up to 12% by the year 2010. Nevertheless, its the Conference of The Hague (November 2000), thats currently found on everyones lips. At that time, the industrialised countries should decide upon the modalities in order to respect the Kyoto agreements on reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2010. Its certainly not an easy matter, and due to inertia on the part of the different parties, the challenge is far from being taken up. In its last report, the European Environmental Agency (EEA) indicated that if the present curve is pursued, emissions will have increased by 6% between 1990 and 2010 instead of decreasing by 8%. In terms of renewable energies, the Campaign for Take-Off anticipates the impending launch of reasonable and sustainable development. It may happen that the 12% target will have to be adjusted... but in an upward direction naturally! In this context, the Toulouse Conference, to be held from 23 to 25 October 2000 in the scope of the Altener programme (see p. 18) is going to assess the first effects of the Campaign for Take-Off and make any necessary adjustments. It should show that there is an exceptionally promising future for renewable energies, and that professionals, users and decision-makers alike are now confidently getting involved and committing themselves in this direction.
Alain Libard
Cover: The Solarsail has three goals. It wants to be a sign for the ecological commitment of the Psychiatric Clinic of Mnsigen (Switzerland) - the initiator of the project -, bring solar technology closer to people and produce a small amount of clean electricity to sell it to the people of Mnsigen. The Solarsail consists of about hundred translucide photovoltaic modules (Atlantis Solar Systeme A.G) totalizing 8.2 kWp. Its mast is 22 meters high. The Solarsail has won the exhibition prize in the Design competition photovoltaic products for the built environment. The award ceremony took place during the 16th European PV solar energy conference and exhibition held in Glasgow 1-5 May 2000. Credit: Verein Sonnensegel
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CONTENTS 4
REPORT
Germany
Photovoltaic Year One

>Berlin: Energy of a newcomer on the stage >Heliotrope in the spotlights of success >Photovoltaic moves into high gear
12 15 20
INTERVIEW
>Maringels Prez-Latorre
The Campaign for Take-Off
ECONOMY UPDATE
>Renewable energy to boost job creation
AROUND EUROPE
>Coming events >Our friends the plants and animals >Green like the Sydney Olympics >Hip-hip has arrived
JUNE
Renewable Energy Journal
N10
2000
BECOME A SUBSCRIBER! SHOULD YOU WISH TO RECEIVE RENEWABLE ENERGY JOURNAL ON A REGULAR BASIS (FREE OF CHARGE), PLEASE FILL IN THIS ORDER FORM AND SEND IT TO: SYSTMES SOLAIRES - 146, RUE DE LUNIVERSIT - F 75007 PARIS. NAME. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . COMPANY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ADDRESS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Publishing Editor: Alain Libard Editor-in-Chief: Yves-Bruno Civel Editing team: Patrick Piro, Maylis Gaillard, Nadine Bleurvacq Translator: Jeffrey A. Raymond Designer: Linette Chambon, Grafibus Advertising Manager: Thierry Plault Administration: Simone Lger
OUTSTANDING ACTIONS
>Denmark: Biogas does it all >Germany: Solar Energy, thats bright!
Distribution: The Franklin Company Consultants Ltd. 192, Franklin Road Birmingham B30 2HE - United Kingdom Tel.: + 44 121 459 4826 Fax: + 44 121 459 8206 Printing: Imprimeries de Champagne Copyright registration: 2000 (second quarter) ISSN 1276 - 7573 Illustrators: bigre!, Patrick Taron, Luc Maillet
EUROBSERVER BAROMETERS
>Photovoltaic energy barometer >Biofuels energy barometer >Solar thermal barometer >Wind energy barometer
Picture credits: Verein Sonnensegel (cover) Rmy Delacloche (p 1) Systmes Solaires/Patrick Piro (p 5, 6, 7, 26, 27, 28) - SaintGobain Glass Solar Vegla (p 4) - Solon (p 9) - European Commission (p 12) - Jurgen Koopmanschap/Studio Gemini (p 14) - Nordex (p 14/15) Cline Chaudeau (p 22) Bios (p 41, 42).
PROJECT UPDATE
>Crete in the forefront for renewable energies >Patmos: desalination and wind
ON LINE
Renewable Energy Journal is available on line www.systemes-solaires.com
EUROPEAN COMMISSION NEWS

>The green electricity directive >How to become a renewable energy partner? >Campaign for Take-Off awards
Renewable Energy Journal is published in the framework of a joint action between SYSTMES SOLAIRES and The Franklin Company Consultants Ltd., with financial support of EC DGTREN-ALTENER.
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Renewable Energy Journal is published by SYSTMES SOLAIRES 146 rue de lUniversit 75007 Paris - France Tl.: + 33 1 44 18 00 80 Fax: + 33 1 44 18 00 36
Solar modules integrated on the faade of the Bayern Land bank, in Munich (Germany). Total power: 68 kWp with 682 m2 of modules.
Photovolta
A 100 000 photovoltaic roofs installation programme and the solar kilowatt-hour supplied to the grid being paid at 0.99 DM (0.51 ). In a few months time, Germany has equipped itself with the important means necessary to give photovoltaic solar energy and its industry a real chance to take off. Freiburg and its region, in the State of BadenWrttemberg, are setting the example.
Germany
few meters after the main square of Schnau, the protestant church stands up on the hill facing South. The roof is covered with photovoltaic panels. A bright metallic blue spot in the vesperal sunlight that draws the attention of passers-by and brings a blush to the legendary modesty of Luthers descendants. In 1998, the Elektrizittswerke Schnau (EWS) management politely asked the Pastor for the authorization to cover the roof of his presbytery. Go ahead, but cover the church roof as well at the same time , replied the man of the cloth. When were striving for the wellbeing of the generations to come, it would be better to not do things only halfway. The German Protestant Church even gave 230 000 DM (117 300 ) to help finance the project. The remainder of the cost was contributed by hundreds of sympathisers in the town and from all over the country. And so a 51 kWp solar power plant has
ic Year One
been born. The story began in 1986, with the catastrophic fusion of the N4 reactor of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. For a few of the citizens of Schnau, a small town of 2 600 inhabitants in the south of the German State of Baden-Wrttemberg, this came as a tremendous shock. And it was the start of an amazing mobilization, led by Michael and Ursula Sladek. Ten years later, it resulted in a victory, unique of its kind, in Germany. On the occasion of the renewal (which takes place every twenty years) of the electricity distribution concession granted by the town, the pioneers of Schnau wrested the contract from the flabbergasted KWR conventional power company, which had always held the contract up until then. They thus created their own electricity distribution company, EWS, to purchase the local power distribution grid that was owned by KWR. EWS solicited its 750 citizenshareholders, and raised the 5.7 million DM (2.91 million ) demanded by KWR. Some of the EWS leaders esteemed this price to be too high, and have, since then, taken KWR to court over it. But why spend so much.... energy? In order to supply the inhabitants with a clean form of electricity, unscathed by a single kWh of nuclear origin - which had made up 40% of the energy delivered by KWR to Schnau. 100 times more than the average EWS, which confines itself to distribution, purchases the electricity produced in Schnau by seven sites connected to the grid - the protestant church as well as several dozen solar panels installed by private individuals, thanks to the 100 000 solar roofs programme launched last year by the government (see page 10). With 27 Wp per inhabitant, the town has the highest rate of electro-solar equipment in Germany , explains Ursula Sladek. Thats 100 times more than the countrys average. And these electricity producers are even happier since the 1st of April, when a federal law spectacularly increased the minimum price at which distributors are required to purchase a solar kWh from 0.165 to 0.99 DM (from 0.08 to 0.51 ) (see page 10). But these micro power plants, with a total of approximately 70 kWp, are far from covering all the towns electricity needs. EWS therefore buys electricity of hydraulic origin or produced by gas combustion in cogeneration (production of electricity with recuperation of heat) for its customers. And the adventure hasnt stopped there. For almost a year now, following the liberalisation of the national electricity market, almost any German buyer can choose whichever distributor he wants. And requests are pouring into the little EWS office. In this way, in the year 2000, the company should supply 25 million green kWh (including 3.5 million solar kWh) to nearly 7 000 customers throughout all of Germany. With priority being given to the inhabitants of our own town , adds Ursula Sladek. Is Schnau then the perfect example of a solar town? Without hesitation it certainly is. Except that only 40 km away, its big neighbour, Freiburg-im-Breisgau, has already pre-empted >
The roof of the protestant church of Schnau is covered with photovoltaic modules. A spectacular exhibition in favour of renewable energy.
> this title with solid arguments in its favour.

First of all, with 1 800 hours of sunlight per year, it is the sunniest city in the country. Found grouped together, in this population basin of 200 000 inhabitants, are the most prestigious solar research institute in Europe (the Fraunhofer Institut), one of the most dynamic photovoltaic module manufacturers in Germany (Solar-Fabrik), non governmental organisations on the cutting edge of innovation, the headquarters of the International Solar Energy Society (ISES) and the German federation of small photovoltaic and thermal solar companies (Deutscher Fachverband Solarenergie, DFS). Is it just by chance that this municipality has made solar power one of the spearheads of its energy policy? Surely not. As in Schnau, everything began by a local union against nuclear power. In 1974, the project for construction of a nuclear power plant in Whyl threatened the vineyards of the Rhine River hillsides. The winegrowers decreed a sacred alliance and were joined by the intellectuals and the inhabitants of Freiburg, a university center with a large student population. The nuclear power plant was never constructed, a retreat which still remains unique in Germany today. A very famous institute This episode decided the vocations of several physicists who participated in the founding of the Fraunhofer Institut fr Solare Energiesysteme (ISE), in order to develop applied research on solar systems. This is the most important European institute devoted to research on solar applications, and the second most important in the world , affirms Wolfram Wettling, head of the collectors, materials and technologies department. Today, the work of ISE has gone beyond the strict context of solar energy, although it still constitutes its principal activity and its calling card. With a figure of 23.3%, we hold the world record in terms of yield for a 10 cm2 monocrystalline silicon collector, which is the indus-
Solar Fabrik, in Freiburg, is the only one factory in Europe to cover all its needs in terms of energy from renewable sources. A CO2 neutral concept including solar panels, solar and heat collectors, collectors, combined heat and power gnration burning raasp oil, etc.
trial standard. Our policy consists of obtaining high performances in the laboratory, and then working to integrate them in industrial processes. At ISE, there was fear that the economic effort consisting of raising the purchase price of a solar kWh to 0.99 DM (0.51 ) would lead to drastic cuts in the research budgets. The deputies refuted this, and at ISE, the faith in renewable energies is even stronger now than at the start. And not only in the laboratories. Among the 250 projects underway, the institute is, in particular, performing the measurements for a programme of solar roofs installed in more than 500 German schools, as well as on several... churches, which have recently made the request. Protected by the Historic Building Trust, the Freiburg Cathedral is, for the time being, safe from such a fate. But in the case of the football stadium, its already too late. In 1994, the local team was in a state of bliss after its rise to the first national division football category. The city was in a state of effervescence, and in the little offices of the Frderverein Energie- und Solaragentur Regio Freiburg (Fesa), an association with the objective of promoting renewable energies in the Regio(1), the time had come to enlarge the stadium and why not to cover its roof with solar modules. The occasion was too perfect to not try to surf on the notoriety of football to valorize an original photovoltaic power plant concept. In a period of two months, the Fesa convinced the football club as well as the city, and rallied together nearly 200 citizens avid to invest in the installation of 100 kWp solar panels. Behaving magnanimously, the football club generously offered them a privileged subscription to attend the Freiburg team matches, sheltered under their new solar roof. The Fesa has become specialised in organisation and management of projects of this type. Today, the association has the creation of eight solar power stations, for a total of 300 kWp, and owned by >
(1) Name given to the cross-border region on both sides of the elbow of the Rhine River, between Germany, Switzerland and France.
Heliotrope in the spotlights of success

What can it possibly not have, what can it possibly be missing? Hanna Lehmann is listing all the multiple qualities of Heliotrope, the solar concept home in which she has been living for the past five years with her husband, the architect Rolf Disch. Something like an improbable dream come true, suspended between the earth and the sky, a search for absolute home automation. The visitor is taken by surprise and caught unprepared, inevitably beaten hands down by the audacity and the sheer quantity of astute and clever elements concentrated by the architect in some 250 m2 space. It took him eight years of thought and reflection, and its an indubitable fact: his house doesnt look anything, not anything at all, like yours does. Unique in the world, if the two clones that it gave birth to (in Baden-Wrttemberg and in Bavaria) are excluded. An energy plus house, with a registered trademark. Or maybe it could be described as how to turn your home sweet home into a house thats environmentally correct in every possible way. Wood, a renewable material with an unbeatable energy efficiency, is king here. Insulated, or rather super insulated, not a single superfluous thermal watt is able to escape through the triple-glazed picture windows. All unnecessary excess electric watts have been dramatically cutback: lighting is, naturally, low consumption and the kitchen has given up on having a deep-freeze. Drinking water, which is a precious commodity and which has to be pumped, is confined to its generic use, that is to say for drinking purposes. The rest of the water used in the house is provided by rainfall whenever possible. Collected on the roof and then filtered, it supplies a tank from which the water needed for washing is drawn. But even this water is not used for flushing the toilet, because the bathroom installations have dry evacuation! The matter falls into an unclosed drain pipe. But this installation remains odour-free thanks to a slight depression and is, in this way, and odours are kept confined to the company of bacteria and can not rise to reach the levels of human activity above. Kitchen waste follows the same path, ending up at the end of a few months time in the form of granules of dry compost. Energy production is the number one feature, and the faade is discreetly provided with solar collectors. But which facade are we speaking about here? The house, a sort of big cylindrical, fourteen meter high mushroom, rotates in its entirety on its axis by means of a small motor that doesnt
consume more energy than a cassette player running permanently , says Hanna Lehmann anticipating the question before it can be asked. It turns to follow the sun, to increase the yield of the collectors, to increase the amount of light and the greenhouse effect of its glass picture windows, but also to escape from the sun, when need be, when the rays beat down too strongly. A generator of 54 m 2 of mono-crystalline silicon photovoltaic modules (which have the highest yield) located on the roof orients its surface towards the shining sun by pivoting on two axes. This results in 30% to 40% supplementary yield in comparison with fixed solar panels. Supplying 9 000 kWh of electricity a year, Heliotrope produces five times more than the houses own needs. Naturally, the surplus is sold to the local electricity distribution company. At the ground floor, a Japanese visitor who was finally been able to flush out the house behind the groves, is asking if he can visit Heliotrope. Freiburg appears near the top of the lists in Japanese guidebooks as the environmentally model German city. Hanna Lehmann sighs. Our only worry is the visitors, because there are 120 a week. And the reporters. As the price that has to be paid for Heliotropes success, their privacy is just as limited as if they were living in a housing estate furnished model home open to the public.
Heliotrope, the solar house of the architect Rolf Disch, has become an international attraction.
> 400 share holders (individual and collectivities) to its credit, as well as the installation of two wind turbines with a total power of 830 kW, and it is currently awaiting the erection of two more of 1.5 MW capacity each, this coming July. Freiburg to enlight Hanover 2000 World Fair
Georg Salvamoser is one of the founders of Fesa. Today, this Freiburg solar pioneer is seeing his efforts being rewarded. At the beginning of the 1990s, the photovoltaic sector was doing badly in Germany. Public authorities were not supporting its development, companies were closing one right after the other, and several solar brains were being drained to the United States. But Georg Salvamoser, who is also director of a solar panel installation and maintenance firm, stood fast and held on. In 1996, in order to gain more independence with respect to his suppliers, he created Solar-Fabrik, which assembles solar modules from cells. The firm, which has experienced a breathtaking growth rate, now holds 15% of the German market, and is tapping more than a quarter of Swiss and Austrian orders. In 1999, 2 MWp of solar panels left the Solar-Fabrik workshops. For 2000, were getting ready to meet a demand of 3.5 MWp , confides Rafael Wiese, Export Manager at Solar-Fabrik. Despite the favourable economic conditions that certain German cities have offered him, Georg Salvamoser has preTO GET EWS http://www.watt-ihr-spart.de ferred to stay in Freiburg. Were near IN Fraunhofer ISE the ISE and the Swiss, Austrian and French TOUCH www.fhg.de/english/profile/ise.html Fesa http://www.fesa.de markets, as well as being close to compeSolar-Fabrik http://www.solar-fabrik.de tent architects , Rafael Wiese explains. Rolf Disch, architect http://www.rolfdisch.de Rolf Disch is one of these qualified architects, DFS http://www.dfs.solarfirmen.de coming from the same breeding ground of old ISES http://www.ises.org pals as Georg Salvamoser did. Working excluSolon http://www.solonag.com IEMB http://www.iemb.de sively in the design of solar buildings, this
architect is the father of an exceptional model home (see page 7). He transferred part of his know-how in order to design a 150 home housing estate for the average man in Freiburg, and stamped energy plus. The homes are equipped with solar panels, are economic in terms of energy consumption and with environmental efficiency that is much better than average. Nevertheless, the price of these residences does not exceed that of a conventional home with a same surface area. Delivery is due in five years. The city, which sold the land for the housing estate at reduced price, has also jumped on the solar bandwagon. Since 1996, its energy policy includes promotion of renewable energies, principally solar, thermal and photovoltaic. The municipality has gone to great lengths so that the Freiburg solar region can be recognised as a project of universal interest during the World Fair thats going to take place in Hanover between 1st June and 31st October 2000. In the themes of the future section of the fair, renewable energies have just been simply overlooked and completely forgotten about, explains Franziska Breyer, Head of the Freiburg Department of Environment, Education and Sports. So were going to be the only ones there doing promotion work...
Berlin Energy of a newcomer on the stage
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atthias Raetz, photovoltaic Paul-Lbe Haus in Berlin, which will house project head at the packager, the offices and meeting rooms of the German Solon, makes a lot of effort to Federal Deputies at the end of the year. This lift the little thirty kilos or so solar power plant will reach a capacity of weight of the module. It took 123 kWp. The architects specifications were a whole year to design it , he says smiling excessively severe. It was necessary that the with pride. Held inside a sandwich of three light be able to pass through the panels, that layers of glass, a pavement of closely fit thin it was homogenous, that the connections were layer silicon photovolinvisible, that the pataic cells runs for a Berlin has opted for renewable nels were adjustable, length of one and a half energy sourcees in the official were without visible meters. These modules, buildings. Photovoltaic modules, supports, etc. For the which number 6 048, totalizing 800 kWp, appear on past four years, busiare going to form the the most prestigious ones. ness has been going 3 302 m2 of the roofing very well for Solon, a Berlin firm offering > of the central hall of the
PHOTOVOLTAIC ON OFFICIAL BERLIN BUILDINGS
> solutions for integrating photovoltaic solutions in buildings. Nearly two thirds of the buildings of the new German capital have called on its services. In its craving for newness, the city is filling itself with symbols. In 1991, the Bundestag (the Chamber of Federal Deputies) enthusiastically voted for moving the government institutions of the Federal Republic of Germany, abandoning the city of Bonn to reinstate Berlin. The Deputies decided that the new State buildings (1) should set the example by their sober use of energy and by a significant use of renewable energies. In order to erase forty years of division caused by the Berlin Wall, it was decided that the most important of these buildings (the premises of the Bundestag and those of the Chancellor) should be constructed on a wasteland that had been bombed during the Second World War and that stretched over both sides of a loop formed by the Spree River, which had partially traced the border between East and West. The old Reichstag, the seat of the first German parliaments, sits imposingly on it. Scorned by the Nazis and riddled by bombshells in 1945, it has now been completely renovated by the British architect Norman Foster to house the new Parliamentary Assembly of the Bundestag. But in 1995, it was suddenly noticed that renewable energies had been forgotten in all this new work. Was this due to a want of experience and practice on the part of the owners and the architects? In order to go beyond good intentions and take real action, a respected public figure, Uwe Rmmling, was named
peak power (kWp)
surface (m2)
file coordinator inside the Institut fr Erhaltung und Modernisierung von Bauwerken (IEMB), whose role is to deal with all energy matters concerning the buildings of the new capital. Whether its a new building, a historical monument, etc. , explains Jan Albers, Assistant to Uwe Rmmling, they all have their own particularities. In this way, we established a very complete energy diagram for each one of them, including possible energy savings, the most rational use of renewable energies, etc.
Presidential residence
411
Chancellery
44
The most innovative element is a hot reservoir located 300 meters below the surface in order to tap underground geothermal energy resources.
1 392 164
Reichstag building (seat of the Bundestag)
321
Paul-Lbe Haus (Bundestag offices)
38
3 302 123
Jakob-Kaiser Haus (Bundestag services)
419
Bundesrat (seat of the Lnder Parliament)
46
413
Moabiter Werder (Deputies housing)
23
991 130
Ministries: Economy
At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the thermal insulation work of the building has thus made it possible to reduce energy consumption for heating by 60% and to save 300 000 DM (153 000 ) per year. Photovoltaic modules (181 m2) of 23 kWp capacity, provide 1% of electricity demands. The buildings that are best equipped in photovoltaic terms are the Chancellery, the Paul-Lbe Haus and the Ministry of the Economy (see table). Another innovation concerning all of the buildings located on the Spree River loop (the Spreebogen project) is their common, shared energy supply system. It includes, in particular, a small heat network, whose energy is to be supplied by cogenerators (production of both electricity and heat) running on rapeseed oil and, the most innovative element of all, by a hot water reservoir located 300 meters below the surface, in order to tap underground geothermal energy resources.
1 077 102
Public Works
328
Justice
35 25 23 20 17 8
The presidential residence in Berlin has its roof covered with solar modules, wich had to be shaped one by one in order to fit in its oval design.
(1) The presidential residence, the Bundestag (Federal Deputies), the Bundesrat (Deputies of the Lnder, i.e. the different States that make up the Federation) and the government (Chancellery and Ministries)..
350
Foreign Affairs
181
Employment and Social Services
192
Training and Technology
161
Agriculture and Forests
63
Total
9 601 798
PHOTOVOLTAIC MOVES INTO HIGH GEAR

The bottomline purchase price of a solar kWh has now been multiplied by six! The new renewable energies support law is a very strong signal in favour of investors, who didnt take long to overwhelmingly react to it.
The phone hasnt stopping ringing for a month now and were snowed under with work... German photovoltaic operators are now held in the sway of a gentle feeling of euphoria. Still unbelieving, they nevertheless have no thoughts at all of complaining about a work overload that promises to last for a long time to come. We have suddenly realised that numerous people have had the idea of equipping themselves with photovoltaic installations, but their projects just never got off the drawing boards because they were too expensive explains Horst Dufner, Administrator at Deutscher Fachverband Solarenergie (DFS, located in Freiburg-im-Breisgau, in the State of Baden-Wrttemberg), which groups together nearly 70 small and medium size firms of the solar sector (both thermal and photovoltaic) in Germany. The integrator, Solar-Fabrik, which is installed in the same city, has also noticed that investors are becoming bolder, and pushing initially modest projects up to 50 kWp capacity. Whats the reason behind this springtime bloom for photovoltaic? On 25th February 2000, the Bundestag (the German Federal Deputies) voted a very promising law in favour of renewable energies (see boxed text), with solar origin electricity holding the starring role. The text (which entered into force on this past April 1st) sets the minimum price paid to producers linked to the grid at 0.99 DM (0.51 ) per kilowatthour (kWh) vs. 0.165 DM (0.08 ) price which had been paid up to now. A gigantic leap. Even if the preparatory discussions to this renewable energies law had been making good progress since the month of June 1999 (1), the high level of the solar kWh purchase price surprised the little world of German photovoltaic. This price is acquired for already existing installations (a total of approximately 40 MWp), as well as for those commissioned after 1st January 2000, with the condition that the investment be made before 1st January 2002. As of this date, the minimum price shall then decrease by 5% a year. This payment mechanism shall remain in effect for a period of 20 years, with the condition that the capacity of the installations benefiting from it does not total more than 350 MWp. This new renewable energies law is an added support for the 100 000 solar roofs programme
launched on 1st January 1999. Provided with a Federal budget of 1.1 billion DM (560 000 million ) and considered as the most important programme of its category in the world (2), its aim is to simplify investment by individuals and small and medium size companies in photovoltaic installations linked to the power grid. Planning on the installation of a total capacity of 300 MWp for the end of 2004, the programme consists of the granting of interest free loans for this purpose (provided that the increase in interest rates of long term loans in Germany does not exceed 4.5%). The loan has a length of 10 years. The annual repayments, which only become due as of the third year, amount to 12.5% of the sum lent. At the end of the ninth year, the borrower will have thus paid back 87.5% of the loan. If the installation is still functioning during the tenth year, the last payment (the remaining 12.5%) shall not come due. New day for the 100 000 roofs Hailed as a commendable effort, the programme is, nevertheless, far from having provoked the expected take off of the sector. While it was hoped that an installed capacity of 18 MWp would be reached for 1999, the Kreditanstalt fr Wiederaufbau (KfW), the State bank managing the programme, had only recorded a figure of 10 MWp installed as of last December 31st. When the SPD-Grnen coalition entered the government in September 1998, we wanted to act quickly, admits Hans-Josef Fell, Deputy of the Grnen ecologist party and kingpin of the renewable energies law. The photovoltaic sector was not
ONE LAW FOR ALL RENEWABLE ENERGIES

In the scope of the new renewable energies law, almost all the electricity producers connected to the power grid benefit from a price increase granted per kilowatt-hour: up to 0.178 DM (0.09 ) for wind energy (a price considered as being competitive for this sector, which is much more developed in Germany than photovoltaic is), 0.20 DM (0.1 ) for biomass and 0.15 DM (0.08 ) for small hydraulic origin electricity. However there are some limitations for the implementation of the law. In this way, the State or an electricity distributor must not hold more than a 25% share in the producing company. Another point is that the capacity of the installations must not exceed a certain threshold. In terms of photovoltaic, this threshold is set at 100 kWp for photovoltaic installations that are not integrated in the building and at 5 MWp for other kinds of installations (roofs, facades, etc.). And by the way, why has the price been set at 0.99 DM per solar kWh, and not more simply at 1 DM? Its just like the prices you find in the stores , were told, a touch of marketing to signify that even though prices are up, were still not going to go too far...
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doing too well, and we wanted to make a strong gesture in favour of renewable energies. The simplest way was to set up a system of loans, which is less heavy than a mechanism of subventions would have been. But we were aware of the fact that it was just a first step. Attractive price or interest free loan? It became quickly apparent that the 100 000 solar roofs programme erred through a lack of lever effect. Scheduled for 1st January 1999, it began more than three months late. And after this, the financial help it offered proved to be insufficient. Until the promulgation of the renewable energies law, the sum loaned interest free covered 100% of the total investment (up to a limit of one million DM, i.e. 500 000 ) if the payment per kWh did not exceed 0.39 DM (0,2 ). Beyond this, the programmes benefit became degressive, reaching the neighbourhood of 1.8 DM. In this way, at 0.99 DM (0.51 ) the kWh, it was only possible to borrow 55% of the total cost of the envisaged equipment under its interest free terms. At the moment that were going to press, the German authorities are on the verge of modifying this rule so that investors will be able to benefit 100% from the 100 000 solar roofs programme along with the 0.99 DM (0.51 ) payment per kWh at the same time. In this case, the depreciation period of the equipment could be lowered to less than twenty years, which would then stimulate demand even more (3). The new order makes us very optimistic that the sector is going to take off , indicates Gerhard Stryi-Hipp, Director of DFS. A sign that cant be mistaken: while the 100 000 solar roofs programme counted a total of only 12 MWp at the end of February, the meter already showed... 35 MWp a month later, after the renewable energies law had been voted! The engine boosters have now certainly been switched on. Some days, up to 1 200 requests for non interest loans have been recorded , says a very contented Carsten Pfeiffer, Hans-Josef Fells Parliamentary Assistant.
(1) One of the key negotiation points concerned the compensations that were expected by the coal industry, in particular in its State of North Rhineland - Westphalia stronghold. The agreement was sealed at the end of last November, when the Grnen party ecologists moderated their tax requirements that aimed at favouring high yield gas turbines to the detriment of coal installations. (2) The United States has launched a one million solar roofs programme for 2010, but it also concerns thermal solar as well, and this programme doesnt benefit from support equivalent to that of the German programme. (3) Economists calculated that in the case of a 2 kWp installation for an average production of 900 kWh per year, this virtuous threshold of 20 years time could be reached with the condition that the kWh be paid at 1.76 DM (0.9 ) (without the benefit of the 100 000 solar roofs programme, which didnt apply and no longer applies at this level of payment). This purchase price is applied by the city of Aachen, one of the most generous municipalities in terms of prices. In Germany, where there are more than 6 000 (often municipal) electricity production or distribution companies, prices are set locally. Other than national aids and assistance, regional or municipal measures can also be added according to the different locations.
11
INTERVIEW
For Maringels Prez-Latorre, Deputy Head of t he Promotion of Renewable Energy and Demand Management Unit at t he European Commissions newly merged Directorate General for Energy and Transpor t (DG TREN), t he objectives of t he White Paper on Renewable Energy Sources are reinforced by s t atis tics measuring renewable energy sources penetration in the European Union. F or the fir s t time over a long period of time (1989-97) (1) . By t he year 2010, clean energies should be covering 12% of the tot al energy consumption of the fif teen member St ates, as advocated and planned in t he 1997 Commission White Paper. The contribution of Renewable Energy Sources is of paramount impor t ance if t he European Union has to meet t he Kyoto objectives.
On course so far
effect of big programmes like the 100 000 photoREJ: In order to foster the implevoltaic roofs in Germany, or of regional and local mentation of the White Paper programmes, such as those in cities where the Commission has launched new buildings or buildings being renothe Campaign for Take-Off The vated must integrate solar collectors (2000-2003). The objectives of Campaign so as to cover part of their heating the Campaign for Take-Off for Take-Off needs. It is true that in the various are also ambitious ones. An interview with biomass using sectors, targets are Do you feel confident Maringels more difficult to monitor. Progresof their being reached?
Prez-Latorre
Maringels Prez-Latorre: < We have just published the statistics on renewable energy development between 1989 and 1997. Certain sectors have indeed showed spectacular expansion, such as wind energy installed capacity of which has increased by more than ten. It is nevertheless a fact that the share of renewable energies in total European Union consumption is rising slowly, because the sectors growth is hidden by the regular increase in overall energy demand. In any event, this first long statistical series makes it possible to monitor along the way that the White Paper targets, based on modelling exercises, are objectively on track to timely realisation. Concerning the short term objectives of the Campaign for TakeOff, at the rate at which things are going, it can, for instance, safely be predicted that the objectives in the wind energy sector should be met. Regarding both the thermal and the photovoltaic solar sectors, we are counting on the gearing
sion is slower, but the sector is undergoing constant development both commercially and in terms of rational and technological feasibility. Generally speaking, there is no sector which has to be considered to lag in terms of the targeted figures. It is premature to thinking in terms of adjust-
12
ments one year from the launch of the Campaign. And this all the more so since the favourable impact of several important policy decisions made after the adoption of the White Paper both at Community and Member States level is just emerging. Among these are reinforcements to existing RE national support measures or announcements of policy changes in Member States, the signing of the Kyoto Protocol on reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and even the common agricultural policy reform (CAP) in Agenda 2000, which introduces environmental criteria into the management of rural areas.
We should like to make the Toulouse conference a model to heighten credibility for renewable energy sources.
biomass heaters have become high performance equipment. But the most serious handicap vis--vis the public was perhaps in the early phase of development with often hastily and badly conducted experiments. Today, it is necessary to know that networks of professionals exist, especially in the field of maintenance. As such, the arrival of computers and data processing in monitoring systems, which operate more often than not by remote control and in real time, constitutes a forceful argument for reassuring users, indeed a major selling point.
By means of the Renewable Energy Partnerships that the Commission has launched, are you trying to involve new actors and driving forces in development of renewable energies?
Deregulation of European electricity and gas markets is leading to a drop in the price of these forms of energy. Isnt there a risk of renewable energies becoming non-competitive?
< The CTO goal of investment in Renewable Energy amounting to 30 billion by its end in 2003, looks increasingly realistic, especially in the light of the greater priority being given to RE in Member States own policies and measures to further environmental investment, including in these sustainable sources of energy. Nevertheless, about 80% of estimated investment should come from the private sector and naturally we want to favour development of a specific renewable energy industry. Moreover, it is with considerable interest that we are also noting serious and increasing commitment in this sector by large companies and utilities traditionally involved in conventional energy. Among the economic sectors which are still only marginally present, and which we would like to attract more successfully, are the building industry, and the hotel and tourist sectors. Commitment by these would have a strong impact on solar development in cities, which were long not considered priority candidates for installing renewable energies. Today, with the emphasis on the problems of pollution and mobility in major areas of population, we are not far from thinking that the opposite is true and this is being steadily reflected in policy at both national and EU level.
Dont renewable energies still suffer from an outdated or old fashioned image? What role does public awareness play?
< I dont think so. The cost of energy was indeed particularly low during the last ten years - though we have recently seen a dramatic rise in oil prices. In fact, Renewable Energies are taking off across Europe. Furthermore, the European Union has committed itself irrevocably at the highest level (Maastricht Treaty provisions and later decisions including the Kyoto commitments to emission reduction) to protecting the environment. It is quite impossible to neglect Renewable Energy development while honouring these commitments, both national and within the Union. Means will therefore have to be found to make these objectives compatible with the opening-up of markets. In this sense we have urged the Member States to respond constructively to the Commissions proposals with a view to finely tuning the directive on production and trade of electricity from renewable sources.
This would largely confined to an appendix to the 1996 directive more generally organising deregulation of the European electricity market, would it not? Is a directive also being considered with the aim of actively developing renewable energies as a whole, whether for electricity, heat, or biofuel manufacture and deployment, etc?
(1) See http://www.agores.org/ FIELDS/STATISTICS/EU/ and the RE EUROBAROMETERS available at www.observ-er.org. The official RE statistics from Eurostat will be published in paper version by EUROSTAT, Luxembourg. In case of difficulty please e-mail to tren-cto-res@cec.eu.int (fax: +32 2 295 5852)
< Renewable energies have this particularity of bringing together sources of energy which have been used since the dawn of mankind with high-tech, state-of-the-art technologies. Wind turbines, photovoltaic modules and
< The Commission is following the Action Plan included in the White Paper. Two issues are being analysed: RES in the building sector and biomass. Concerning RES in buildings, and to some extend, in urban areas, the first step would be to introduce RES technologies in the Commissions proposal for the revision of the SAVE Directive. In respect of biomass: we do plan more searching investigation of the development of biomass-derived energy. This is a complex sector comprising >
I
13
> multiple categories: biogas, liquid

biofuels, combustion for electricity and heat, etc., most of which enjoy a very high exploitable potential, in particular as regards heat production.
500 roofs covered with solar panels are part of a local solar power station, in the neighbourhood of Amersfoort, in the town of Nieuwland (Netherlands).
V I N T
The former Energy DG has just merged with Transport, becoming DG TREN Energy and Transport. What impact is this likely to have on policy for development of renewable energies?
< The transport sector is the principal consumer of energy and, incidentally, usually the most difficult in which to reduce fuel consumption. The cross-fertilisation and better co-ordination of policy work in the Commission in these areas can only be a good thing. Both renewable energies and energy saving are winners in this case, since an entire directorate is now concerned them. There is also a new unit which will deal exclusively with clean urban transport. Thanks to more rational organisation and better working systems, this challenge is being taken.
The coming conference on the Campaign for Take-Off, and on the ALTENER Programme for promotion of renewable energies, will take place next October in Toulouse. What do you expect from this?
< We should like to make it a model conference to heighten credibility, a showcase for all the progress made in terms of renewable energies, an event where many of our exemplary partners in this effort will be present. On this occasion, we shall award the trophies for best practices in this field. Furthermore, the decision makers who plan using renewable energies should be reassured and encouraged to pursue their efforts apace by the existing successes on view. Were hoping for a strong momentum to help move on from the current take-off phase to what might be termed cruising speed.
14
E C O N O M Y
U P D A T E
Switching to a greater use of renewable energy technologies creates more jobs than business as usual - this is the conclusion of a recent EU-wide study into the effects of renewable energy on the economy and employment.
Renewable energy to boost E job creation
Manufacturing a wind turbine in a Nordex factory.
uropean Union Member States are encouraging renewables development as an alternative, indigenous energy source with low environmental impacts - making the renewable energy industry one of Europes fastest growing sectors. Recently, policy makers have started to recognise the additional economic benefits that renewables can provide, in particular their potential to generate employment. But how can we quantify these employment effects? To understand them in more detail, the European Commission launched a major EU-wide study (1) in 1998, designed to analyse the key question - will a greater investment in renewables lead to more jobs in Europe? The study takes a two-stage approach to calculating the effects of renewable energy on employment in the 15 EU Member States to the year 2020. First, using the SAFIRE model (2), energy predictions were made for three time periods with the following scenario: up to 2005, with renewables still needing investment support (subsidies) ; up to 2010, by which time carbon or energy taxes will have been implemented ; and to 2020, by which time there shall be convergence of renewable energy prices with conventional energy prices. Next, the employment impacts of this energy scenario were calculated using a model developed specifically for the study. The analysis calculates net employment values, which include direct impacts - jobs in the energy industry or in the agriculture industry (for biomass fuel technologies), and indirect impacts - jobs >
15
U P D A T E
> created elsewhere in the economy. It also

takes account of jobs lost in other sectors (especially in the conventional energy sector) and the effect of subsidies on the overall economy and employment. The analysis focuses on employment from trade in domestic (EU) markets, and so takes account of the effect of imports, but does not consider jobs created by the manufacture of exports. CLOSE TO 900 000 NEW JOBS The modelling predicts that energy produced from renewable sources will more than double by 2020, from a base of 440 TWh in 1995 to 1 066 TWh by 2020. The largest overall increase comes from energy from biomass sources, but other renewable technologies also show a rapid increase, especially from wind and photovoltaics. All Member States show an increase in renewable energy capacity and output, with the greatest total increase in new renewable energy production seen in Germany, Italy and France, and with levels of renewable energy in countries such as The Netherlands and the UK predicted to increase by more than 6-fold. Total final energy demand in the EU is predicted to rise by 25% by 2020 (3), nevertheless the SAFIRE model predicts that an increasing proportion of this demand will be met from renewable energy sources (Table 1). This increase in >
1995
2005
2010
2020
Total final energy demand (TWh) (1) Renewable energy output (TWh) (2) Proportion from renewable sources (%)
10 350 440 (3) 4.3
11 375 713 6.3
11 950 875 7.3
12 950 1 066 8.2
E C O N O M Y
(1) From European Energy to 2020. (2) SAFIRE model - excluding large hydro, geothermal, wave and tidal energy. (3) EUROSTAT data.
TABLE 1 THE CONTRIBUTION OF SAFIRES PREDICTIONS OF RENEWABLE ENERGY OUTPUT TOWARDS TOTAL FINAL ENERGY DEMAND IN THE EU
2005
2010
2020
Belgium Denmark Germany Greece Spain France Ireland Italy Luxembourg Netherlands Austria Portugal Finland Sweden
4 040 58 758 81 282 17 311 37 389 87 018 4 446 21 405 353 13 306 55 746 26 778 20 695 15 437 9 453
4 605 64 546 134 618 46 385 44 971 126 832 7 981 66 201 353 5 901 59 980 38 116 26 071 19 098 15 155
6 936 73 539 183 759 83 470 84 397 135 164 11 184 132 077 353 8 464 62 182 47 473 30 592 22 583 18 373
1 000 000 900 000 58 000 800 000 700 000 600 000 500 000 400 000 300 000 200 000 100 000 0 2005 2020 2010 60 000 70 000
United Kingdom
Total
453 417
660 813
900 546
TABLE 2 EMPLOYMENT CREATION IN THE 15 MEMBER STATES (NEW NET FTE EMPLOYMENT RELATIVE TO BASE IN 1995)
TECHNOLOGIES AND BIOMASS FUELS STUDIED

Large-scale hydro, wave, tidal and geothermal were excluded from the study, in the same way as passive solar was. Three principal forms of conventional (fossil or nuclear) energy technologies were considered: Conventional Combined Heat and Power ; Conventional power generation; Conventional heating.The renewable energy technologies and biomass fuels included in the study are as follows: Wind energy. Most wind turbines are built on land (onshore), but there is increasing interest in exploiting offshore wind energy. Solar energy. Photovoltaic (PV) panels for electricity generation and solar thermal collectors for heating. In the future, an increasing amount of electricity may also be generated from solar thermal sources (solar thermal electricity). Biomass. Combustion, gasification or anaerobic digestion of a wide range of fuels, including forestry residues, agricultural wastes and energy crops, and solid and liquid industrial and municipal wastes, to produce heat, electricity or biofuels for use in vehicles. Small-scale hydro electricity. Turbines (<10 MW) installed in small river courses.
Direct impact
Indirect impact
Subsidy impact
GRAPH 1 DIRECT, INDIRECT AND SUBSIDY IMPACTS (NEW JOBS CREATED) IN THE EU
16
> energy from renewables is predicted to

result in a net increase in jobs throughout the EU (Graphs 1 and 2). The overall number of net additional jobs predicted to be created from the 1995 base year by 2020 is 385 000 (full time equivalent, FTE) jobs. In addition, a further 515 000 jobs are predicted to be created as a consequence of investment in biomass fuel production - from agricultural and forestry residues, and from energy crops (4). To a certain extent, and more so in the earlier years, subsidies shall be required to enable renewables to compete in the market with conventional energy sources. However, even when allowance is made for jobs that would have been created from alternate deployment of these subsidies, renewables, in general, were still found to generate net jobs relative to the conventional energy sources they displace. AGRICULTURE TO BE FAVOURED Most of these new jobs are from biomass technologies and from providing biomass fuels. Other technologies generate more modest levels of employment, with the highest number being for onshore wind with 35 000 jobs by 2020. Solar photovoltaic and small hydro both show job losses in the early years as a consequence of larger levels of subsidy and lower overall FTE/MW employment ratio, but both show net gains in employment by 2020. The largest employment increases arise from direct employment impacts, particularly jobs involved in construction and operation of the renewable energy plant, but jobs are also generated from indirect employment (Graph 1). The greatest number of jobs displaced through subsidies occurs by 2010, when about 72 000 jobs are predicted to be shifted in other sectors of the economy. However, by 2020 these job losses have decreased somewhat to 62 000, reflecting the steady decline in the amount of new subsidy made available to renewables. Most jobs created occur in only a few industrial sectors, particularly in agriculture, the energy supply industry, and various manufacturing sectors. The analysis predicts a 7% increase in the number of people employed in the EUs agriculture sector, engaged in production, harvesting and supply of biomass fuels. In contrast, the conventional energy supply industry loses less than 2% of its work force by 2020 as a consequence of the shift to a greater use of renewables. Employment in the renewable energy manufacturing sector is predicted to expand to nearly 200 000 jobs (5). The analysis predicts that around 20% of the total predicted employment creation will occur in Germany and a further 15% in France (Table 2). By 2020, new employment created from
(3) Energy in Europe: European Energy to 2020 (1996). (4) The analysis has assumed that expansion of biological fuel sources occurs without displacing employment in conventional agriculture and forestry. (5) Note that this estimate has been adjusted (reduced) to take account of imports, however there is no associated increase to this sector if the Member State has a significant export industry. This value should therefore be considered as an under-estimate, especially for those countries with a well-established export industry.
Elizabeth Broome
(1) The Impact of Renewables on Employment and Economic Growth. ECOTEC Research & Consulting Ltd (UK), Energy for Sustainable Development Ltd (UK), EUFORES (Luxembourg), Forum fr Zukunfts energien e.V. (Germany), IDAE (Spain), ObservER (France), O Energiesparverband (Austria). This study was carried out under the ALTENER programme and an
900 546 Total 2020 288 970 Agricultural waste
147 170 Forest residues
79 223 Energy crops 48 709 Liquid biofuels 117 151 Bio gazification
37 271 Bio combustion 120 285 Bio anareobic
7 977 Small hydro 6 584 Wind offshore 35 211 Wind onshore 621 Solar thermal electric 10 231 PV 14 311 Solar thermal heat
2005
GRAPH 2 PREDICTED EMPLOYMENT IMPACTS BY TECHNOLOGY
2020
1995
2010
E C O N O M Y
renewables is predicted to be nearly 3% of Denmarks total labour force, and a number of Member States are predicted to have job creation levels higher than 1% of their total labour force. The results from the study will be of practical interest to many different groups, including policy makers, the renewable energy industry, regional and local authorities, and investors, and will help to raise general awareness about employment benefits from renewable energy technologies.
initiative of EUFORES. Further details from Lis Broome at ECOTEC, telephone +44 121 616 3656, e-mail Lis_Broome@ecotec.co.uk. (2) SAFIRE (Strategic Assessment Framework for Rational Use of Energy) is an established model, developed by Energy for Sustainable Development Ltd, which analyses the impact of different modes of energy consumption, the introduction and spread of energy technologies, and energy policies on a number of indicators. It was used as the basis for the development of the targets presented in the ECs White Paper on Renewable Energy Sources.
U P D A T E
17
COMING EVENTS
International Conference on Renewable Technologies for Sustainable Development 26-29 June 2000 Madeira Island, Portugal Contact: Instituto Superior Technico Fax: +351 1 847 55 45 Web: www.navier.ist.utl.pt/rene wables2000 Renewable Energy for the Developing World 26-30 June 2000 Carbondale, USA Contact: Solar Energy International Tel.: +1 970 963 8855 Fax: +1 970 963 8866 E-mail: sei@solarenergy.org Web: www.solarenergy.org World Renewable Energy Congress VI 1-7 July 2000 Brighton, Great Britain Contacts: Prof. Ali Sayigh (conference) Tel.: + 44 1 189 611 364; E-mail: asayigh@netcomuk.co.uk Reed Exhibition Companies, Rob Schulp (exhibition) Tel.: + 44 1 81 910 79 76 Fax: + 44 1 81 910 79 89 E-mail: joanne.bowyer@reedexpo.co.uk The Millenium Conference on Passive and Low Energy Architecture 2-5 July 2000 Cambridge, UK Contact: University of Cambridge Tel.: +44/1223/342100 Fax: +44/1223/301122 E-mail: idb@cam.ac.uk Web: www.arct.cam.ac.uk/plea2000/ contents.html Redi 2000 Conference Renewable Energy for Developing Infrastructure 3-7 July 2000 Loughborough, Leicestershire, UK Contact: Crest Tel.: +44 1509 223466 Fax: +44 1509 610031 E-mail: a.j.white1@lboro.ac.uk Web: www.lboro.ac.uk/crest/redi 2000.html
Intersolar 2000, Trade Fair and Conference 7-9 July 2000 Freiburg, Germany Contact: Solar Promotion Tel.: +49/7231/351380 Fax: +49/7231/351381 E-mail: info@intersolar.de Web: www.intersolar.de International Conference on Sustainable Energy and Environment: global challenges for sustainable energy in the new millenium 17-19 August 2000 Mumbai, India Contact: Dr. Satish pai, BSES management institute Tel.: +91 22 849 2055 Fax: +91 22 841 4466 E-mail: drpai@bol.net.in 8th International Conference on Thermal Energy Storage (Terrastock 2000) 28 August - 1 September 2000 Stuttgart, Germany Contact: Tel.: +49 711 685 3536 Fax: +49 711 685 3506 E-mail: terrastock@itw.uni-stutt gart.de Web: www.itw.unistuttgart.de/ terrastock British Wind Energy Association Conference 6-9 September 2000 Durham, UK Contact: BWEA Tel.: +44 20 7402 7102 Fax: +44 20 7402 7107 E-mail: bwea22@bwea.com Web: www.bwea.com European Conference on Solar Energy in Architecture and Urban Planning 12-15 September 2000 Bonn, Germany Contact: Eurosolar Tel.: +49 228 36 2373 Fax: +49 228 36 1279
Millenium Solar Forum 2000 - Ises 17-22 September 2000 Mexico city, Mexico Contact: U.N.A.M Tel.: +52 73 2500 18 Fax: +52 73 2500 52 Fedarenes 10th Anniversary European Federation of regional energy and environment agencies seminar 18 September 2000 - Brussels Contact: Fedarene Tel.: +32 2 646 82 10 Fax: +32 2 646 89 75 E-mail: fedarene@euronet.be Web: www.fedarene.org 8th International Conference on Heat Transfer & Renewable Sources of Energy 18-20 September 2000 Leba, Poland Contact: WIP Tel.: +49 89 720 1232 Fax: +49 89 720 1291 E-mail: wip@wip-munich.de Web: www.wip.tnet.de or www.wup-munich.de Sun 21: International Week for a Sustainable Energy Future 19-23 September 2000 Basel, Switzerland Contact: Sun 21 Tel.: +41 61 271 0389 Fax: +41 61 271 1083 Web: www.sun21.ch High Wind Power Penetration in Electrical Networks 25-27 September 2000 Kassel (Germany) Contact: Frdergesellschaft Windenergie Tel.: + 49 40 27 80 91-82 Fax: + 49 40 27 80 91-76 E-mail: fgw-hh@t-online.de Pollutec 2000 17-20 October 2000 Lyon, France Contact: Miller Freeman Lise Dapper Tel.: +33 (0)1 47 56 21 12 Web: www.pollutec.com 3rd Seminar on the Role of Geothermal Energy in the Sustainable Development of Mazowsze and Lodz regions of Poland 19-21 October 2000 Radziejowice, Poland Contact: Tel.: +4812 632 3300 Tel/Fax: +4812 632 6717 E-mail: labgeo@min-pan.krakow.pl or srocka@min-pan.krakow.pl
World Conference Sustainable Building 2000 22-25 October 2000 Maastricht, Netherlands Contact: Novem Tel.: + 31 46 42 02 326 Fax: + 31 46 45 28 260 E-mail: SB2000@novem.nl Web: www.novem.nl/sb2000 CTO Altener Conference 23-25 October 2000 Toulouse, France Contact: Web: www.etaflorence.it/toulouse.htm Solar Millenium Congress 25-28 October 2000 Toulouse, France Contact: Ademe Tel.: + 33 1 47 65 20 41 Fax: + 33 1 46 45 52 36 E-mail: florence.clement@ademe.fr Renewable energy: Advancing technology for industrialization and sustainable development 5-11 November 2000 Brighton, UK Contact: Robert Pinheiro Tel.: 44-1865-302704 Fax: 44-1865-557368 E-mail: robert.pinheiro@british council.org 2000 international Environment & Renewable energy exhibition & symposium 23-26 November 2000 Beijing, China Contact: Mr. Yong Zhang, CERE 2000 Tel.: +86 10 65 15 7760 or +86 10 6515 5027 Fax: +86 10 6515 8442 E-mail: cisc@midwest.com.cn Web: www.cisexpo.orgcn.net Solar 2000: from fossils to photons 29 November-1st December 2000 Brisbane, Australia Contact: ICMS Pty Ltd Tel.: +61 7 3844 1138 Fax: +61 7 3844 0909 E-mail: solar2000@icms.com Web: www.icms.com.au/solar2000 3rd Asia Pacific Conference on sustainable energy and environmental technologies 3-6 December 2000 Hong-Kong, China Contact Tel.: +2358-6000 Fax: +2358-0537
20
SWEDEN
On course for a green economy
BARCELONA OBLIGATORY SOLAR HEATING

ince the second half of 1999, the Catalan capital has imposed, by government order, solar heated hot water in collective buildings, whether new constructions or existing
The countrys modernisation is going to be placed under the auspices of ecology . Thats what the Swedish Prime Minister affirmed last September. In practical terms, this means that the Ministry of the Environment is provided with a very substantial supplementary budget of 200 million euros. All the different sectors of the economy will be called upon in this effort. The building and automobile industries will have to be less energy consuming, and gentle technologies shall be favoured. The chemical industry is going to have to eliminate the dangerous products, and rail-road transport is going to be imposed for moving goods. In the energy production field, specially dedicated plant crops shall be planted. The tax on diesel oil is increasing, just as the price of a nuclear kilowatt-hour is. Naturally, development of renewable energies is right at the top of the agenda today, in the same way as heat networks that should soon link an additional 15 000 buildings and 700 000 individual homes. All of these actions are in line with preparing the country to abandon civil nuclear power, as was decided upon as early as 1980. But operations to achieve this are proving to be more difficult than planned. Among the twelve reactors, which produce 52% of Swedish electricity, a first portion, in Brseback, should have already been shutdown at the end of 1999. Protests have been raised in the name of the loss of jobs and of foreseeable future difficulties in meeting the engagements of Kyoto, freezing its disconnection from the grid sine die.
buildings undergoing extensive renovation. Housing, residential buildings (including fire stations, prisons, etc.), hospitals, sports centers, office and industrial buildings, etc. - and whether private or public - : as soon as the buildings water consumption exceeds 2 000 litres per day and leads to an energy consumption higher than 292 mega-
OUR FRIENDS THE PLANTS AND ANIMALS
Elephants are a gas!

We all know about producing biogas from liquid manure of pigs. Were now going to have to reckon with methanisation from elephant excrements! Naturally this isnt going to happen in Europe, but rather in Thailand, where promising trials could soon lead to the creation of electric generators running on biogas from pachyderms. It is question of the forest regions in the North and Northeast of Thailand, where these animals are widely used for hauling timber. With forty elephants, its hoped that nearly two tons of excrement can be collected per day, enough to produce approximately 100 kWh of electricity.
Light from chicken droppings

The Belgian firm, Limcoal, whose principal business is coal extraction, has decided to build an electric power plant supplied by excrements coming from chicken farms in the provinces of Antwerp and Limbourg. With a capacity in the neighbourhood of 25 MW, it could provide 25 000 households with electricity by 2003. There are currently three power plants of this type in Great Britain.
joules, the buildings must cover more than 60% - or even 80% of their needs if the Mayor esteems that it is pertinent - by means of solar energy. At least one technical study has proven the projects impracticality or at least that a part of the needs are already covered by non polluting energy. The municipal decree indicates that one square meter of solar cell at a 40 angle in the city of Barcelona receives an average annual amount of solar energy 1 635 kWh. The installations must be in line with regulations for protection of the countryside and the respect of architecture that are in force. And future offenders had better be careful: fines ranging from 6 000 euros for a light infraction, to 60 000 euros for very serious offences are already provided. At the national level, the Spanish government decided, at the beginning of the year, to allow nearly 10 billion euros until 2006 for development of renewable energies. A very great effort, aiming to reach the target defined by the White Paper of the European Commission, to increase the proportion of green energies up to 12% of the countrys total consumption, i.e. double the share renewables hold at present.
Two power plants swimming in oil

In Spain, two new electric power plants, each with 16 MW capacity, should be started up and operating in Andalusia at the end of 2001. Theyll be running on olive pulp. This Spanish province is the leading olive producer in the world. The electricity should cover the needs of a population of approximately 100 000 inhabitants. The very young firm, Endesa Cogeneration and Renewables, which was created less than two years ago, won the contract for construction of these green power stations.
LONDON PEABODY TRUST INVESTS IN PHOTOVOLTAIC

eabody Trust, one of the largest charity organisms in London, has 17 000 social housing units in Greater London. Its natural that this organisation, which is sensitive to sustainable development, has taken an interest in renewable energies. The >
21
> first photovoltaic installation realised by Peabody Trust saw the light of day in May 1997 in Eastern London. First, 1.1 kWp generators were installed by the Greenpeace organisation on the roof of three individual houses. Peabody Trust was then convinced by the engineering design office, Whitby Bird & Partners, to integrate photovoltaic modules on the roofs of Kensal Green, a group of buildings to be constructed on a site near Parliament in Westminster. The group will include 300 housing units and 17 000 m2 of office and commercial space. Electrical production should cover 10% of the sites annual needs, preventing, in this way, emission of 200 tons of CO2 per year into the atmosphere. The 5th R&D framework programme will contribute 35% of the funds necessary. Co-operation between Peabody Trust and Whitby Bird & Partners should not stop there. The team is now examining the possibility of installing photovoltaic systems where large scale roofing repairs must be made. A law, currently being studied in Great Britain and which should be put into application in the one or two years to come, shall soon require electricity companies to produce 5% of their current from renewable sources by 2003, and 10% by 2010.
AUSTRALIA
Green like the Sydney Olympics

In 1993, when Sydney became a candidate to host the Olympic Games of the year 2000, the city promised to organise the first green Olympics in history, with solar panels, bioclimatic architecture, recycling, etc. The event, which will take place in September, is the perfect occasion for Australia to show the entire world what is capable of achieving in terms of environmental protection. One of the showcases of these Olympic games is the 19 solar towers (see picture) equipped with photovoltaic modules and located along the main road of the Homebush Bay Olympic site. This installation has a total capacity of 133 kWp, for an annual production of 160 000 kWh. The Super Dome, where the gymnastic and basketball events will take place, has a total of 70 kWp of photovoltaic modules on its roof. Every one of the buildings had to integrate bioclimatic architecture taking the environment into consideration, and the infrastructures were constructed everywhere as a function of Sydneys meteorology. In this port city, the stadiums use the sustained winds of this port city to run natural ventilation systems. They advantageously replace traditional air conditioning, in this way economising 40% of the energy consumed for this need. In this way, the Penrith site, where canoe-kayak events are to take place, is oriented according to an east-West axis so as to make best use of summer breezes. Solar collectors also make it possible to economise energy, especially for heating the pool, which will be open to the general public following the Olympics, while the timing system of the arrival tower is going to be supplied by photovoltaic energy.
Olympic boulevard, in Sydney, and its solar towers: the showroom of the ecological Olympic games of next September.
665 roofs have already been equipped with 12 photovoltaic modules of 85 Wp each. Solar electricity production will ultimately prevent emission of approximately 4 500 tons of carbon dioxide per year vs. that of a traditional coal fuelled power plant. In the two Accor Group hotels built on the Olympic site, 60% of the hot water circuits are supplied by 400 square meters of thermal solar collectors, which should make it possible to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1 200 tons each year. All told, costs linked to environmental protection represent a quarter of the infrastructures construction budget, i.e. nearly 500 million euros. Some believe that this effort is going to be the most long-lasting legacy of the Olympic Games in the field of the economy.
BULGARIA TO SET UP 10 000 SOLAR INSTALLATIONS

Bulgarias geographic location is generally considered as favourable for a mass utilisation of solar installations. However, there is still a pressing need to carry out analyses, research and evaluations in order to give more proof of advantages and to justify both the need for solar energy use and its stimulating legacy. In order to evaluate objectively existing conditions in the country, the Bibin Foundation developed a global evaluation of implementing solar energy installations based on flat plate collectors (liquid and air collectors) in apartment buildings, and industrial, commercial and residential buildings in Bulgaria. As a result of the project launched in 1996-1999, the
A FUTURE SOLAR SUBURB

Once the Olympic Games are over, the Olympic Village, located in Newington, will become the biggest suburb in the world supplied by solar energy. The organisers are hoping to create a new urban model where the use
of photovoltaic cells should effectively reduce electricity imported on the site by 60%. 520 houses, 350 apartments and 350 other temporary housing units have already been constructed, but the target is to build a total of 2 000 habitations to house more than 5 000 persons by the year 2005. As of today,
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existing option for introducing solar energy systems have been assessed and identified: 50% of 2 160 000 city residential buildings and 70% of 1 274 000 towns and village buildings allow an optimal usage of retrofit solar installations. These results prepared the background of the current programme for implementa-
tion of 10 000 solar installations in Bulgaria, an attempt to provide an alternative source of energy, especially considering the impending shutdown of 4 nuclear reactors in the Kozloduy Nuclear Plant in Bulgaria. Active and passive solar systems incorporated into the buildings will provide heat and warm water
to meet at least 40% of needs. The size of the solar system helps determine the economy of conventional energy. By the year 2004, the amount of solar collectors is expected to exceed 500 000 m2. The programmes successful implementation will provide up to 400 million kWh annually.
HOORAY!
SEMINAR
Hip-Hip has arrived

Six countries - Germany, Austria, Spain, France, Italy and the Netherlands - have grouped together around the European project called Hip-Hip (House Integrated Photovoltaic-High Tech In Public) in order to hook up 3 MWp (on a basis of 0.5 MWp per country) photovoltaic power to the grid by the year 2003.
URBAN ENVIRONMENT RENEWABLE ENERGIES IN THE SPOTLIGHT

For those you still had doubts in their mind about the true place of renewable energies in urban environments, the seminar organised by Energie-Cits in Verona on last 6th and 7th April dispelled them to a large degree.
aunched in March 2000, the projects objective is to help the installers to make progress in integrating modules on the building so that this practice becomes a commonplace one. Individual homes, factories, and public and private buildings, are all concerned. Depending on the country, these realisations shall be either geographically concentrated or very scattered out. Since they shall have to meet criteria of reduced cost and good architectural integration, the projects shall be pre-selected by a national committee. Most of the potential candidate buildings (public or private, new or in rehabilitation, from offices to individual homes) have now been identified. The French engineering design office, Innovation Energie Dveloppement (IED), co-ordinator of Hip-Hip, leads a consortium grouping together eight sub-contractors: two photovoltaic modules manufacturers, Photowatt and Shell Solar Energy, which shall each supply 250 kWp in each country, and six national co-ordinators- Saint-Gobain Glass Solar (manufacturer of specific modules for the buildings) for Germany, SED (specialist in integrating photovoltaic cells on roofs and verandas) for Austria, Aesol (installer) for Spain, the Agence de lenvironnement et de la matrise de lnergie (Ademe) for France, Anit (another specialist in integration) for Italy and Ecofys (renewable energies generalist) for the Netherlands. All things considered, nearly 22 million euros are going to be devoted to hooking up the 3 MWp (0.49 MWp the first year, 0.96 MWp the second and 1.55 MWp the last). The target is to reduce the cost of these systems by 30%, going from 7 euros per Wp to 5 euros per Wp the third year of the project, by launching innovative models and optimised systems.
early 200 people representing cities from more than 20 different countries were present. The participants were able to talk about their experiences and exchange ideas about actual realisations as well as their impact on local development, urban planning and jobs. Energy consumption is highest in the cities, and this is also where heat networks could be making use of biomass and buildings could be integrating solar cells, etc. And thats why its in the cities that actions should be strongest.The European Commission Agores website was officially presented (see Commission News page 45). In particular, the new site contains 50 good
renewable energy practices prepared by Energie-Cits and grouped together on a CD-ROM that was distributed to those attending the seminar. The participants discussed the place of renewable energies in a liberalised market and adopted a common opinion on the European Directive project. Lastly, a call was launched to incite municipalities to get involved in the Take-off campaign for renewable energies by signing partnership agreements with the Commission. This seminar was supported by the European Commission (DG TREN Altener programme), represented by Maringels Prez-Latorre, and the European Parliament was represented by Mechtild Rothe.
Contacts: > Energie-cits 2 chemin de Palente F 25000 Besanon Tel: +33 3 81 65 36 80 Fax: +33 3 81 50 73 51 www.energie-cites.org > Energie-Cits Brussels office 29 rue Paul Emile Janson B 1050 Brussels Tel: + 32 2 544 09 21 Fax: + 32 2 544 15 81
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O U T S T A N D I N G
A C T I O N S
I
Over a period of two decades, the Danish (who are the European pioneers in the field) have succeeded in establishing biogas in a key position where agriculture, pollution control and energy production all meet. Biogas is born from digestion of liquid manure from pig breeding and industrial effluents. It limits pollution, feeds thermal and electrical power plants,and gives back matter that is suitable for spreading in the fields.
ts sunny but cold out. On Helge Rasmussens farm, near Holsterbro in the Northwest of Jutland, nothing seems to be moving. The pigs are keeping themselves warm inside their pigsty. Approximately 920 pigs, mainly sows, intended for reproduction. Some 16 000 piglets are born each year, which then go elsewhere for fattening. All of this little community merrily produces the respectable quantity of 38 m3 of liquid manure per day. This waste matter is continuously evacuated by pump to an enormous tank, and is then be injected four times a day into a 10-meter high column, called the digester. There, pampered at a temperature of 39 C, the bacteria tirelessly do their work. The digester produces 50 m3 of biogas - methane and carbon dioxide - per hour. Once it has been digested, the liquid manure can then be spread over the farms grainfields in the summer. The biogas travels through a conduit to inside of a soundproofed shed where it is burned by a small cogeneration unit (1). The automatic control indicates that 2 300 kWh of electricity has been produced over the last 24 hours. And 4 000 thermal kWh heat up the water in a piping circuit that travels through the farm and all of its buildings. The electric turbine is linked to the power grid. Sold to the local distributor, the electricity produced provides the owner with a revenue of 500 000 DKK (Danish krone, approximately 67 000 ) a year. The savings made in terms of heating costs amounts to 80 000 DKK (approximately 11 000 ). Return time for such an investment, including maintenance, is less than eight years, Jorgen Thomsen, Director of Bioenergisystem, which installed >
Biogas does it all

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A C T I O N S
> all of the unit, assures us. With each of its

sub-systems well protected in its shed or container, this bio-electrical-mechanical hybrid has been obediently rumbling and purring round the clock, 24 hours a day, since May 1998. Neat and tidy, odour-free, integrated and totally automated: Helge Rasmussen doesnt have to spend more than ten minutes a day looking after this biogas plant.
farmers store the liquid manure for at least nine months time.
VITAMINS FOR BACTERIA
In the face of the costs represented by the construction of the silos that these regulations impose, certain farmers have grouped together to supply shared liquid manure banks. In order to turn the situation to best account, the effluents are dispatched for fermentation WITH BACKS TURNED TO NUCLEAR POWER in digesters to produce methane, which is then sold to cogeneration production units. These small biogas origin electricity producThe liquid manure that has been digested in tion units are on a roll and have the wind blothis way, is then redistributed to its original wing in their sails, in Denmark. About twenty owners (input and output volumes are apprefarms are currently equipped, and several dociably the same). Homogenised, liquefied and zen others could soon be following this rid of parasites by the heat example in a few months time. Its sort of like going At the end of the 1980s, of the process, this fertiliser has now become easier for back to basics. As early as the country discovered the farmers to dose and to the beginning of the 1970s, that the lobsters of spread out than raw liquid and in part due to the energy Kattegat, a national manure. Even though it crisis of that time, Denmark treasure, were poisoinclude numerous adbegan to become interested ned by nitrates spread does vantages, this collectivisain methanisation. At that off by the agriculture. tion of the treatment of time, small biogas produceffluents erred because of tion units were constructed its lack of economic profitaon farms, to be used for farm bility. Production of the dihousehold consumption of gesters was chronically too low, the cost of electricity and heat. But the method and the transporting the liquid manure by lorry weitechniques remained small-scale and a bit ghed down on operating costs (40% of exmakeshift. Consequently, as soon as a brighpenses), and the petrol crisis, which favoured ter period for the petrol market was confirthe profitability of renewable energies, at that med, the forty or so installations that were moment only seemed like a bad dream. For all present in the country were abandoned. that, there was still no question of forgetting In 1985, under the pressure of public opinion, about the sector. The solution consisted in inDenmark definitively turned its back on nucreasing methanisation process efficiency. And clear energy. The country which then had the how was this to be done? By means of indusintention of favouring decentralised energy trial waste that is rich in fatty matter, excellent production projects, launched renewable food for the bacteria of the digesters such as energy development programmes. Installathe contents of pig stomachs, residues resultions were subsidised, and the government ting from the treatment of fatty substances introduced a favourable tax scheme. In this from animals such as fish oils, or from vegeway, while fossil fuels such as coal, petrol or table matter such as oils, etc. Thesevitamins natural gas were highly taxed, wood or straw, are added in limited proportion, from 10% to which are tax-free, became very competitive. 20% of the quantity of liquid manure. This is Lastly, financial assistance was given to decalled co-digestion. velopment of heat networks (2), indispensable for local valorization of renewable energies, and with which Denmark is largely provided 16 000 M3 OF BIOGAS A DAY today - 60% of the population is heated in this way. The process became generalised in Denmark Soon, serious environmental problems were beginning in 1988. It was adopted by the added on to the initial question of energy. At Studsgard biogas plant, which serves the city the end of the 1980s, the country discovered of Herning (58 000 inhabitants, in the center that the population of Kattegat lobster, a naof Jutland) (see page 28). We have the bigtional treasure, was declining, poisoned by gest daily production of biogas in Denmark the nitrates conveyed by runoff waters. An 16 000 m3, boasts Poul Lyhne, Manager of accusing finger was pointed at the intensive the Bioenergy Department of the City of Heragriculture sector, which was ordered to ning. On good days, production unit efficiencontrol its pollution. Denmark is an agriculcy reaches 70 m3 of biogas per m3 of biomass, tural country, and has a pig population of three times the average generally observed in 21 million, i.e. four pigs per inhabitant (there Europe when liquid manure alone is used. are 5.3 million Danish). Now, their liquid maThe industrial effluents unloading platform nure can only be spread according to strict gives off an unbearable odour. Its the only rules. Especially not during the wintertime, not very recommendable place in the plant. when the sleeping vegetation does not absorb The other premises, with all their piping and this fertiliser. This restriction requires that automatic control supplied 700 measurement
In the Northwest of Jutland, Jorgen Thomsen shows the biogas plant that his company has installed in the farm of Helge Rasmussen.
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points, bring to mind the picture of an everyday, commonplace chemical production plant. Two persons are enough to run all of the plant, whose digester treats 100 000 tons of liquid manure per year. The city has made it a point of honour to push reflection on renewable energies as far as possible (see next page). A little boiler running on wood chips ensures the heating of the digester, which is indispensable to conserve the milieu at optimum working temperature for the bacteria. While the majority of the fifty farmers who supply the factory with liquid manure are served by lorries, the five farms closest to the Studsgard plant are connected to it by a piping system which directly pumps the liquid manure, and then sends it back to its owner once it has been digested. Using subterranean piping, the biogas supplies a cogeneration plant (combined heat and power unit) with an electric capacity of 1.4 MW and a thermal capacity of 1.6 MW (3).
ON THE FARM OR IN BIG PRODUCTION UNITS?
Co-digestion, adopted by the twenty collective or centralised biogas production units similar to those of Studsgard the country counts, has restored a certain dynamism to the Danish biogas sector. This is not only due to the spectacular improvement in performances, but also thanks to the industrial pollution control tax paid by industrialists who see their effluents treated by methanisation (4). But this new state of affairs also brings its own batch of constraints as well. Denmark does not have enough good quality industrial effluents to make it possible to run all the methanisation units of the country correctly. Its therefore necessary to import these effluents from Germany, the Netherlands, and even France ... This represents an influx into Denmark of at least 15 000 tons a year of industrial waste intended for methanisation .
Its certain that lorry transport of effluents is not the panacea in terms of environmental efficiency. Were presently studying co-digestion with city household waste , Poul Lyhne explains. The condition sine qua non for this is strict discipline in sorting and separation on the part of the inhabitants in order to supply the plant with organic waste only. Today, in spite of successive improvements in the sector, investors are hardly rushing in because the economic balance is still precarious. Whether its a question of the farmer, of the energy producer or of the industrialist held to control pollution of his effluents, each actor gets something out of it, but that something is too little. The ideal situation would be to be able to cumulate several advantages at the same time. This is the case of Denmark imports modern biogas units good quality found on farms, like industrial effluents that of Helge Ras- from Europe, in order mussen. Interest in to boost biogas this direction is once production in the pig again vigorously emerging today, follo- manure digestors. wing the period of infatuation for collective units with liquid manure banks. In this case, liquid manure transport costs are zero, and co-digestion makes it possible to treat their pollution and produce electricity, the sale of which is a strong motivational force for the breeders, believes Jorgen Thomson, Director of Bioenergisystem. While investments have been stagnating for the past five years, the Danish government has just made the decision to raise the minimum price at which electricity distributors are held to purchase a kWh of biogas origin from 0.52 DKK (0.07 ) to 0.6 DKK (0.08 ). It should be said that in 1996 the country set new, very voluntarist objectives for itself in terms of renewable >
(1) Electricity production turbine together with recovery of emitted heat. (2) Piping and conduit system, often running underground, which conveys hot water for heating urban area housing. (3) The inhabitants can choose to purchase green electricity from the city, with an extra charge of 0.05 DKK per kWh (4% more than the standard price), which goes into a municipal fund for development of renewable energies. (4) Nevertheless, with the condition that the industrial effluents do not exceed 25% of the mass treated by the unit. Above this percentage, it would then be subject to the much more restrictive rules that govern purification plants.
A C T I O N S
A C T I O N S
Herning: demonstration by biomass

Following the petrol crises of the 1970s, Denmark encouraged the use of cogeneration units together with heat networks. In Herning, the energy costs of the customers dropped by 30%. o such an extent that the inhabitants of the surrounding villages, who are not connected to the heat > network, were tempted by an exodus to the city. The county decision-makers reacted to thwart the movement, and decided to play the local energies (i.e. renewable energies) card to supply the inhabitants of the periphery of Herning (for a radius of about thirty kilometers surrounding the city) at an attractive price. The result is a group of solutions that have been adjusted to local conditions. In the zone that goes from Northwest to Southwest, the predominance of livestock farms incited construction of a biogas unit, installed in Sinding in 1988. In Simmelkr, located in the more wooded region in the North of the county, it was a wood chip fed boiler that proved to be the most pertinent equipment. Kolkr, in the Southeast, is indeed connected to the Herning heat network, but the line losses caused by the distance that were too great. A large water tank has been installed, which is periodically heated by the network piping, in order to locally accumulate the heat at 80 C. In the South, the biogas that the local rubbish dump produces is pumped to supply a small cogeneration unit. The heat circulates in a mini local network that serves the villages of Arnborg and Fasterholt. Still found in this sector, the experimental plant of Hogild performs tests to valorize the gases obtained by pyrolysis of wood chips. This is the old gas production plant process, which had its heyday in France during the Second World War. Lastly, in Haunstrup, in the West, a boiler is burning the grass and weeds cut on lands left fallow, which are numerous in this area. For the city of Herning alone, 6% of the heat and 9% of the electricity consumed by the city resulted from renewable energies in 1998. This was Herning mainly due to wind energy (6% of the electricity) and the biogas unit of Studsgard (see text). The city hopes to raise these two figures to 20% by the year 2005.
energies (5). Its going to break the deadlock and get things moving , reckons Jens Bo Holm-Nielsen, Head of the Bioenergy Department of the University of Southern Denmark. In the three years to come, its possible to predict that around fifty new on-the-farm biogas electricity production units and around five collective plants with liquid manure banks are going to be built. A manner of indicating that he considers the local controversy, which continues to oppose (after years now) the supporters of these two different types of installations, as a false debate. Theres enough room for everyone! . With the government advocated condition that the farms use only local biomass resources (not just liquid manure, but diverse vegetal matter as well), and that co-digestion and its high performance efficiency be reserved (due to the shortage of fatty industrial effluents) for large scale collective units deliberately oriented towards energy production, and very sensitive to the competition of natural gas. A Yalta agreement against which certain groups like the private institute, Folke-center for Renewable Energy, have raised their voices, demanding co-digestion for
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Solar Energy, thats bright!

the small production units on the farms as well. For Jens Bo Holm-Nielsen, the heart of the system must remain agricultural. Importing industrial wastes in not a durable or sustainable solution , he explains. Its the farmers interests which must have priority. The additional plus for them could come from the next generation of menthanisation units, which promise to offer much better treatment of the liquid manure once it has been digested . Today, for example, fibers are not eliminated, and transported tonnage levels are high. Tomorrow, treatment of the liquid manure shall be pushed further, up to the extraction of 75% water intended for local irrigation purposes, the extraction of 15% fibers, which could serve in stabilising terrain, and the extraction of 10% dry fertilizer, concentrating the added value, whose low weight wont put a strain on commercialisation costs. Logically, in the end, the countrys ambitious energy policy objectives should lead to other pleasant surprises. We hope to see further incentives and new price increases for a biogas kWh, going up to 0.77 DKK (0.10 ) , Jorgen Thomson predicts.
400 000 new solar equipment installations per year between now and 2003. Thats the ambitious target the German promotion campaign, Solar na klar!, has set for itself.
(5) Energy Plan 21: by the year 2003, the share of electricity produced from renewable energies should have risen from 15% to 20%. Renewable energies shall then cover 12% of total energy needs. By the year 2010, biogas production should more than triple, reaching 10 to 15 equivalent tons of petrol vs. 3 to 4 equivalent tons of petrol today). In 1998, out of a total production of 35 million tons, one million tons of liquid manure was methanised in Denmark, producing 50 million m3 of biogas. By 2030, CO2 emissions should have decreased by 50% with respect to their level in 1990. This signifies that the share of energy resulting from renewable energies shall have to be increased tenfold.
he Germans have decided to bet behind a push for take-off of solar thermal energy in their country. An important information campaign - Solar na klar! (Solar Energy, thats bright!) - was launched more than a year ago to make households, towns and companies aware of thermal solar energy and to convince them to put it to use. The campaign objective it to provoke installation of 400 000 new systems a year between now and 2003 (50 000 units were installed in 1998), to create 25 000 new jobs and to contribute, in this way, to preventing emission of a million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2). These targets are inscribed in a long term perspective going up to the year 2010 (see boxed text). This is the biggest campaign ever launched to promote solar thermal development at the federal level. It benefits from the support of the highest German authorities, since it has obtained the patronage of Chancellor Gerhard Schrder and the Minister of the Environment, Jrgen Trittin. More significantly, all of the big professional and environmental organisations are party to the campaign steering committee. Baum, the association of green German entrepreneurs (which initiated Solar na klar), DFS, which groups together small and medium sized solar sector firms, DGS, the German branch of the International Solar Energy Society (ISES), BSE, the club for big industrialists having developed renewable energy activities (Shell, BP, etc.), ZVSHK, the main solar energy users federation, BDA, the largest association of architectural design offices, as well as DNR (the federation of ecologist associations). Everyone is pushing in the same direction, its a real pressure group. We have already obtained a tenfold increase of federal subsidies for domestic collectors, which have jumped from 20 to 200 DM per year (from 10 to 100 million euros) , explains Olivier Drcke, whos in charge of the campaign at Baum. ARTISANS TO THE FOREFRONT! Beyond the targeted numbers and figures, the campaign is aiming at putting the heating specialist installers, who are traditionally very well organised in Germany, in the forefront. The solidity of a dense network of artisans who are competent in solar installations is presented as essential for establishing public >
GERMANY
A C T I O N S
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A C T I O N S
2 400 Total surface
GERMANY AIMING TO BECOME EUROPEAN LEADER
1 100 Surface installed thanks to "Solar na klar"
1 400 Surface installed without "Solar na klar"
Launching of the campaign
2003 1400 + 1000 2002 1150 + 560 2001 900 + 280 2000 690 + 120 1999 500 + 40 1998 420 1997 400 1996 250 1995 175 1994 150 1993 125 1992 100
Source: DFS
GROWTH SCENARIO FOR INSTALLED CAPACITIES OF SOLAR COLLECTORS, IN THOUSAND OF M2
> confidence. A public which has sometimes had their fingers burnt in prior dealings
with not very qualified professionals. Solar na klar is therefore launching training and qualification programmes for their benefit. The campaign is provided with a budget of 9 million DM (4.6 million ) spread over a period of three years and is essentially dedicated to dissemination of information to the media, professionals, experts and the consumer public. A situation which Olivier Drcke esteems to be naturally too limited from our point of view . As of last April, approximately 6 000 professional installers had already announced their participation in the campaign. And nearly 80 000 consumers have already received a kit composed of a detailed brochure (comparative arguments, financing aids, etc.) and a video cassette, over the last year. The Solar na klar promoters are very encouraged by the very positive response that the different targeted publics have given to the campaign. According to an opinion poll, 94% of German households which would like to build homes, are ready to invest in solar energy. Nevertheless, it will take a few more months before the real impact of the campaign in terms of new installations can be evaluated.
Contact: www.solar-na-klar.de
ith 32 m 2 of solar collectors per 1 000 inhabitants, Germany is currently found in the middle of the European pack in terms of thermal solar energy, behind Denmark (56 m 2 per 1 000 inhabitants) and very far behind the undisputed sector leaders, Austria (236 m 2 per 1 000 inhabitants) and Greece with 258 m2 per 1 000 inhabitants. There are currently 2.6 million m 2 of collectors in Germany, with a 25% growth rate per year. The European White Paper on renewable energies targets a total of 100 million m 2 installed in Europe by the end of 2010. The Germans have set their mark very high, since they plan on accounting for more than half of this figure. In this way, Germany envisages reaching an additional 2.4 million m 2 of collectors installed during the year 2003 (see graph opposite). This annual rate is set to be reinforced, reaching an additional 10 million m 2 installed during 2010! The countrys total solar collector surface area should then amount to 55 million m 2 . The Solar na klar campaign is the main means for accomplishing this copious programme by 2003, which shall theoretically provide a 30% installation growth rate. But Germany is also counting on the dynamism of its industrialists as well as on political measures in presently progress or still yet to come, to achieve an installed capacity of nearly 0.5 m 2 for each of its inhabitants in the 10 years to come.
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31
These barometers were prepared by ObservER in the scope of EurObservER project which groups together ObservER,
Eurec Agency and Eurofores, with the financial support of the Ademe and DG TREN (Altener Programme). A longer and
detailed version can be consulted on the ObservER and Agores web sites : www.observ-er.org - www.agores.org
PHOTOVOLTAIC ENERGY BAROMETER

199,9 MW
29% GROWTH INCREASE
69,44 MW
77,6 MW
88,6 MW
hotovoltaic energy continues to progress both technologically and in terms of its different applications. In 1999, world photovoltaic cell production practically reached the 200 MWp mark and the cumulated capacity installed in the European Union exceeded 123 MWp. In 1999, world photovoltaic cell production reached 199.9 MWp, that is to say 29% growth with respect to 1998 figures. Carried along by their dynamic national market, the Japanese have dethroned the United States to become the leading producer of PV cells with 80 MWp. Europe produced 38.6 MWp in 1999 vs. 27.6 MWp the previous year. The most committed countries are France (9.1 MWp), Germany (9 MWp), Italy (2.9 MWp), the Netherlands (2 MWp), and Spain (1.1 MWp).
125,8 MW
154,9 MW
60,09 MW
1 - volution of photovoltaic module and cell production (in MW)

1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993
Source: EurObservER
Installed capacity end of 1998
Installed capacity end of 1999*
Installed capacity (%) in 1999
Germany Italy France Netherlands Spain Austria Rest of EU Total EU United States Japan
Estimate Source: EurObservER
53.9 17.68 8.0 6.48 8.0 2.86 6.54 103.46 127.9 133.3
66.2 18.5 10.0 9.5 9.0 3.46 7.42 123.58 147.0 190.0
22.8 4.6 25.0 47.0 12.5 21.0 13.4 19.4 14.9 42.5
2 - Cumulated photovoltaic capacity per country (in MW)
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Germany is European leader for installed capacity The peak capacity of all photovoltaic applications installed in the European Union has reached 123.6 MWp. Germany is leader with 66.2 MWp. The Netherlands, buoyed by its solar roofs programme, achieved strongest European growth with 9.5 MWp. France (both metropolitan France and French overseas departments) maintained an annual rate of 2 MWp, essentially due to installations on remote sites. Development prospects The current trend leads to a forecast of photovoltaic solar capacity for all of the countries of the European Union situated between 480 MWp and 500 MWp by the year 2003. In the longer term, this cumulated capacity should reach 1 440 MWp by the year 2010. These figures should be compared with the objectives of the European Commission White Paper, which targets installation of 1 095 MWp for the end of 2003 and 3 095 MWp for the end of the year 2010. As can be seen, there is still a lot to be done.
3 - Photovoltaic energy: current trend vs. White Paper objectives (in MWp)
3 095 White paper
Source: EurObservER
1 440 Current trend
1 095 2010
490 2003
123
1999
470 000 390 000
A PLACE FOUND LITTLE BY LITTLE rmed with technological maturity and environmental advantages, biofuels are little by little finding their place alongside fossil fuels. The two main biofuel sectors which have developed are : * RME (Rapeseed oil Methyl Ester) obtained from sunflower or rape seed oil. * Ethanol with its derivative by-product ETBE (Ethyl tertio butyl Ether) produced from fermentation of beets, corn, barley or wheat. France, the European leader Since 1992, biodiesel production from rapeseed or sunflowers has undergone spectacular growth in Europe. Produced volumes have gone from 55 000 tons to 470 000 in 1999, i.e increasing 8.5 times. Today, representing 58% of European biofuels production, France is in position of sector leader. In 1998, French production amounted to >
Source: Novaol
150 000
280 000
435 000
BIOFUELS ENERGY BAROMETER
1 - European biofuels production since 1992 (in tons)
475 000
1999 (Estimate) 80 000 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992
55 000
33
Sweden 15,9 Spain 79,4 France 95,3 Canada 190,6
Company
Production site
Forecast date
Added capacity
Elf Total Nedalco Group of producers Group of producers
France France Netherlands Spain Sweden
2001 2001 2001 2000 2001
82 000 73 000 50 000 180 000 90 000
Source: Confdration Gnrale des Planteurs de Betteraves
United States 3 573
2 - New European ETBE production projects (in tons)
Brazil 11 910
Source: Confdration Gnrale des Planteurs de Betteraves
> 216 000 tons, with 78 000 tons for Italy, 55 000 tons for Germany, 19 000 tons for Belgium and 12 000 tons for Austria. Brazil largely dominates the ethanol sector in terms of production. The United States, and to a certain extent Canada, have also invested on the ethanol sector. In Europe, France leads in terms of production with 95 300 tons, right in front of Spain (79 400 tons) which has already announced construction of new production sites and is striving to become European leader.
An economic and industrial reality In the RME sector, the European leader for production and marketing is the French company, Diester Industrie. In the ETBE sector, important petroleum companies play direct roles in the transformation and distribution processes. Since the beginning of the 1990s, the different biofuel sectors have become economic and industrial realities in Europe. Important industrial groups are involved in this sector and total fulltime employment is estimated at 13 000 persons. Meeting European Commission development rate objectives According to the experts, between now and 2001, ETBE projects of the different european companies are going to show a supplementary production capacity of 475 000 tons per year, in addition to the 400 000 tons currently being produced in Europe. With regard to biodiesel, production capacity should be in the neighbourhood of from 550 000 to 600 000 tons for the five years to come. Results are encouraging if these forecasts are compared to the objectives set by the European Commission Campaign for Take-Off. The European Union hopes to reach 5 million tons of biofuel being produced by 2003. Based on the figures presented above, capacities should make it possible to achieve production of 4.6 to 4.8 million tons of biofuels during the four years between now and 2003.
3 - Ethanol production in the main countries in 1998 (in thousand tons)
5 White paper 4,8 Current trend
3,75
3,4
2,5
2003 2 2002
Source: EurObservER
2001
2000
4 - Biofuels: present trend vs.White paper objectives (in million tons)
34
Germany 35 m2
Austria 240 m2
Greece 260 m2
SOLAR THERMAL BAROMETER

A GROWTH FIND AGAIN
470 000 m2 France
195 000 m2 Netherlands
153 900 m2 Spain
T
11 m2
14 m2 28 000 m2
15 m2 26 640 m2
19 440 m2
Italy
Denmark
Portugal
5 m2 18 000 m2
60 m2 17 000 m2
25 m2 8 000 m2
Source: EurObservER
oday, solar thermal energy is experiencing a strong growth in Europe. Since 1993, there are more and more solar water heaters in Europe. In terms of installed area, their number has increased at an average annual rate of 14.8%. Three countries, Germany, Greece and Autria stand out from the rest. In 1998, these three countries were the only ones to exceed 150 000 m2 of new installed solar collectors. Germany, with a supplementary 470 000 m2 installed, mainly disseminated among 50 000 collective and individual solar water heaters, is by far the leader. This hierarchy is completly changed when the figures are expressed per 1 000 inhabitants. Germany disappears from the group of frontrunners, where only Greece and Austria remains. An industrial sector well structured In Europe, solar water heaters sector is sustained by a multitude of small and medium sized firms (from which they are 85 solar collector manufacturers) for a turnover of 555 millions euros (3,6 billion francs) in 1998. This sector sells competitive applications in place of conventional water heaters (gas, fuel and electricity). The number of direct full-time jobs in this sector (manufacturers, installers, distributors and engineering offices) is close to 12 000 persons, mainly located in Germany, Greece and Austria. >
1 - Solar collector surfaces installed in the European Union during 1998, and surface in m2 installed in 1998 for 1 000 inhabitants
G 7 erm 00 an 0 y
Au 2 s tr 20 ia 0
G 2 reec 14 e 0
nd
rla
Source: EurObservER
2 - Employment in european low temperature solar thermal industry

Total capacity in 2005 (in m2) Total capacity in 2010 (in m2)
Germany Austria Greece Netherlands (1) Spaain Italy France (2) Belgium
17 000 000 5 200 000 4 860 000 845 000 -
(1) Only for solar water-heater - (2) Estimate for 2006 in metropole and DOM-TOM Source: EurObservER
3 - Estimate of solar thermal surfaces installed in Europe in the year 2005 and 2010 (in m2).
Fr 12 anc 0 e
N 18 eth 0 e
Sp 15 ain 0
55 000 000 10 400 000 9 800 000 1 360 000 4 500 000 3 000 000 1 450 000 200 000
Re 35 s t 0 of
E.
U.
35
> White paper objective as target Thanks to the programmes announced by the members States of European union, installed capacity of solar collectors could reached 85 millions m2 in 2010. It should be remember remember that the objective of the european Commission is to reach 100 millions m2 installed in 2010 (White paper on RES Dec. 97). We are going in the right direction, but there is still more work to be done.
100 000 2010 Objective
4 - Solar thermal: present trend compared to the White paper objective (in thousand of m2)
Source: EurObservER
85 000 Present trend
50 000 40 000 2010
2005
73 000 2010 objective
10 000
1998
40 000 Present trend
WIND ENERGY BAROMETER

UNFALTERING GROWTH
1 - Wind energy: comparison of current forecast with White paper targets (in MW)
Source: EurObservER
2010 21 612
10 000 2003 8 000 9 000 1999 1998
ith a 38% growth rate in the world, 1999 is a vintage year in terms of wind energy and is even better than that of previous years (26% in 1997 and 26.8% in 1998). Wind energy has grown by an average annual rate of 30% for the past three years. An additional 3 695 MW were installed in 1999, raising the world total to 13 356 MW. The European Union, for its part, has now passed the 9 000 MW mark with a cumulated power of 9 182 MW. Germany has consolidated its first place position with an additional 1 565 MW. With 4 440 MW, Germany alone represents 48% of installed power in the European Union and 33% of that in the world. Placed behind this leader, Denmark and Spain, respectively with an additional 311 MW and an additional
1 - Cumulated capacity installed in the world (in MW) EurObservER

Wind power installed at end 1998 Wind power installed at end 1999 1998/1999 growth in %
European Union United States India Rest of the world Total

Source: EurObservER
6 427 1 770 968 396 9 661
9 182 2 502 1 062 610 13 356
42,8 41,3 9,7 54 38,2
36
644 MW in 1999, confirm their intention of inscribing wind energy in their long term energy policies. An essentially European industry Eight out of the ten leading companies of the wind energy industrial sector are European. In spite of some technical problems which occurred on machines installed in the United States, NEG Micon remains the leading company in the sector with 608 MW installed in 1998. The rise in strength of Spanish firms such as Gamesa (which works under Vestas license), Made and Ecotecnia, can also be seen. The Spanish wind energy industry is continuing to grow and has been successful in getting into Latin American markets. In 1998, it can be estimated that all of the industrial sector concerned with wind turbine construction generated a turnover of nearly 15 billion French francs (2.3 billion euros) and represented 15 000 direct and indirect jobs. Very good growth prospects Development forecasts for wind energy for the year 2003 confirm continuation of the rapid growth observed over the past five years. An additional 17 525 MW should be installed between now and then. The worldwide total should then reach 30 881 MW by that date. Projections are also optimistic in terms of the European Union. The target of the european commission Campaign for Take-Off, which is that of having 10 000 MW installed for 2003, should be easily reached and greatly exceeded, because forecasts are indicating a figure of 21 612 MW.
Others 8,4%
Mitsubishi (Japan) 1,4% Ecotecnia (Spanish) 1,7% Made (Spanish) 4% Nordex (Danish) 5% Bonus (Danish) 5,6% Gamesa (Spanish) 6,6%
Enercon (German) 12,8%
Vestas (Danish) 14,8% Enron Wind Corp. (American) 16,3%

Source: BTM Consult
NEG Micon (Danish) 23,4%
2 - Top 10 manufacturers in 1998

Installed capacities end of 1999 Supplementary capacities 2000-2003 Installed capacities at end of 2003
Germany Denmark Spain Rest of EU European Union Rest of Europe Total Europe United States Asia Rest of the world Total
Source: BTM Consult
4 440 1 761 1 478 1 503 9 182 47 9 229 2 502 1 309 316 13 356
3 100 1 050 3 900 4 380 12 430 750 13 180 1 600 1 350 1 395 17 525
7 540 2 811 5 378 5 883 21 612 797 22 409 4 102 2 659 1 711 30 881
3 - Supplementary wind energy forecast for 2003 (in MW)
37
P R O J E C T
U P D A T E
Kisamos
Hania
Rethymnon
Linoperamata Heraclion
Stalida Ag. Nikolaos Sitia
Mires
Ierapetra
Atherinolakos
New Conventional Units
Existing Conventional Units
Existing Wind Farms
New Wind Farms
Biomass Units
Small Hydro Units
Pumped Storage Units
Crete in the forefront for renewable energies

T
he fact that Crete is the sunniest region of Europe is an excellent calling card for its tourist industry. Nearly three million visitors, five times more than the local resident population of approximately 600 000 inhabitants, come to take advantage of the Greek islands sunshine each year. The tourist industry is a golden opportunity for the local economy, but a real headache for supplying necessary energy, mainly in the form of electricity for hotels, air conditioning, etc. During the summer season, in the face of the important rise in consumption, i.e. peaks in demand for electricity, the network becomes easily saturated. The island, the fourth largest in terms of size in the Mediterranean Sea, is often confronted with power cuts. Supplying the island of Crete in electricity by means of underwater cables is not on the agenda at present. Violent underwater currents run through the strait that separates the island from the southern Peloponnese (mainland Greece) and earthquake risks in this zone are high as well. The major part of the energy (86%) is thus supplied by fuel-oil run thermal electric stations and this fuel has to be transported by ship to the island. >
DEMAND FOR ELECTRICIT Y NOW EXCEEDS EXIS TING FUEL -OIL DRIVEN POWER PL ANT C APACIT Y ON THIS GREEK ISL AND. A SPECTACUL AR LEAP IN THE IMPORTANCE OF CLEAN ENERGIES, MAINLY OF WIND AND BIOMASS ORIGIN, IS UNDERWAY. THE GOAL IS TO PRODUCE 45% OF ELECTRICIT Y FROM RENEWABLE SOURCES BY THE YEAR 2010.
Residue of pressed olives in oil processing should be burned in a future electricity production unit in Crete.
41
U P D A T E
> In the future, the question is whether or

not new plants should be built to meet the demand, which is increasing by 7% a year (1999)? The answer is not certain. The population has become very reticent towards these polluting installations. Aware of these problems, Crete adopted an energy policy in 1994 giving a large place to renewable energies. A complete implementation plan was finalised by the regional energy agency in May 1999. The lions share for wind energy A first series composed of the simplest measures to implement are targeting reduction of the islands electricity consumption. With replacement of incandescent light bulbs by low-consumption electric light bulbs in domestic and urban lighting, as well as the adoption of natural ventilation systems in new buildings, demand in electricity should decrease by 10% by 2010. In parallel to this programme, the number of solar collectors on the island is going to be actively developed to ensure buildings with
solar origin hot water instead of by having to use electric water heaters. Currently estimated at a surface area of 85 000 m2, the total amount of collectors should reach 500 000 m2 in 2010. Lastly, the peaks in demand should be attenuated by use of dissuasive pricing during peak periods. And air conditioning installations could be replaced, little by little, between the next five or ten years, by systems operating on solar energy. The delicate part of the programme involves the setting up of a sizeable number of electricity production units using renewable sources. The lions share should be ensured by wind energy. The island is very windy, and average annual wind speed exceeds 7 m/s in numerous locations. Crete already has an installed wind turbine capacity of 60 MW. Between now and the year 2010, the programme promoters target quadrupling this capacity. Investors are very interested, because conditions are particularly attractive in this case , explains Arthouros Zervos, Professor at the National Technical University of Athens and Vice-President of EWEA
P R O J E C T
(European Wind Energy Association). Investments in renewable energies are eligible for 40% subsidies in Greece. And the current produced in isolated systems like that of the Greek islands, is purchased from producers at 90% of the consumer sale price vs. 70% on the Greek mainland. Enough to get return on investments in only four to five years time... Olives for 20 MW of electricity After being long underestimated, Cretes second green energy is biomass. And this thanks mainly to olive cake (the name given to the olive residue resulting from the oil pressing process). The island is a big producer of olive oil. The villagers have been burning this waste to supply machines, fireplaces and ovens for decades. Construction of a first electricity production unit (20 MWp) should be authorised this year in the region of Heraklion. As Arthouros Zervos points out, Cogeneration is difficult to envisage. Producing heat is not a preoccupation in Crete!... In 2010, once the plants specifically intended for use in producing energy shall have been planted, the island will then have from 40 to 60 MWp of biomass origin capacity. Finally, there is the question of photoFrom mechanical work to electrical purpose... windmills have been known for centuries in Greece.
42
voltaic origin electricity. This solution is less economically attractive than the two previous ones. Nevertheless, a capacity of 2 MWp should be installed before the year 2005. Within the coming decade, the regional energy agency, with its implementation plan, esteems that it will be possible to cover nearly 45% of the islands energy needs by use of renewable energies. For the past two years now, the totality of the increase in electricity demand has been absorbed by these new production units, mainly using wind energy. What are the odds that this attractive objective is going to be achieved? Obstacles to achieving this goal are certainly not lacking. Obtaining necessary administrative authorisations can be a very long process indeed. But the biggest hindrance is to be found elsewhere. In an isolated electricity production system as on Crete, the law requires, for reasons of network stability, that the portion covered by intermittent sources in this case, wind and photovoltaic energies - shall not exceed 30% of total production. For these same reasons, the national (and only) utility company, the Public Power Corporation (PPC), even has the right to refuse electricity supplied by such sources, especially during periods of low demand, up to 20% of their
The last fuel-oil power plant? The key to the problem is pump-storage. This technique consists of hoisting water up behind a storage dam from a reservoir located downstream. Then, as a function of needs, this same water is later released towards this same reservoir passing through a hydroelectric turbine. The defenders of pump-storage esteem that this method is an indispensable option for Crete, and a total capacity of 125 MW is foreseen in the regional energy agency plan. This would be enough to provide the system with its obligatory safety margin, that of an installed power which is 20% higher than demand in order to be able to absorb future peaks. But, above all, it could signify the means of compensating for the irregularity of wind and sunlight. The electric pumping of the water to the storage reservoir would be ensured by wind turbines and photovoltaic panels, as well as by fuel-oil and biomass thermal electricity plants,
A S O L U T I O N T O PAT M O S WAT E R S H O R TA G E
Desalination and wind

The need for drinking water and the energy required for the desalination process, at the best price, is opening the way to the use of wind energy in the Greek Islands.
n Greece, there are numerous small islands facing problems of water supply. Water needs are partially covered by wells. But they have recently been facing serious depletion problems - annual rainfall amounts to only 400 mm per year - and salt water intrusion due to intensive exploitation of ground water. The water is also transported on site by ship (tankers) but hygienic conditions and supply dependability are not satisfactory. Tourism, one of the most important economic activities on the islands, requires a continuous increase of the supply. For all this reasons, and because it has large amounts of coastline and islands, Greece is the exactly right place to study desalination of water assisted by wind energy (see article on Crete). A pilot project could be implanted on the island of Patmos (1), located in the Aegean Sea near the Turkish coast. It has a base population of 3 000 inhabitants which jumps to 6 000 people in summer. The villages are supplied by a number of wells which partly cover water needs. About >
P R O J E C T
average annual production. In view of these constraints, and at its current growth rate, wind energy capacity should then come up against the 140 MW limit imposed on intermittent sources between now and the year 2001. Is there a blocked situation to come?
during the night, when they are running slowly at a loss. At present, preference is given to two sites for installation of these pump-storage units: Linoperamata (County of Heraklion), and Kourna (County of Rehtymnon). Even though technical reasons are invoked to explain why this solution would not see the light of day before 2005, the principal obstacle is a political one. The biggest pump-storage installation detractor happens to be the PPC. For more than ten years, the company has been fighting to impose construction of a new fuel-oil thermal electricity plant to relieve the strain on the electricity system. If pumpstorage is authorised, there will no longer be any reason for this power plant to be built. However, the wrestling match now seems to be heading towards a compromise. Even though the population is opposed to the fuel-oil power plant, a site has now finally been chosen. The unit is therefore probably going to be built, with the condition that the regional authorities (who remain favourable to renewable energies) give the project the last go-head thats necessary. As Arthouros Zervos puts it, Tacitly, this would then be the last fuel-oil power plant built on Crete .
U P D A T E
43
> 80 000 m3 more per year are transported by ship on an almost year-round basis. Studies and exploration work carried out by the Institute of Geology and Mineral Exploration have led to the conclusion that exploitation of almost all of the islands underground water potential would be enough to meet water demand during the winter season. For the year 2000, two consumption scenarios were elaborated: a minimum of 150 liters per day per person and a maximum of 200 liters per day per person, plus 40 liters per day for one-day visitors. Water demand would thus reach a level of 250 000 m3 to 330 000 m3 per year.
Taking into account a scenario of minimum demand in 2000, two desalination systems (250 m3/days/unit) and a 15 000 m3 storage facility are necessary.
An average water shortage of about 165 000 m3 per year has thus been assessed from the month of March to that of November. An average water production cost analysis was made: taking into account a scenario of minimum demand in 2000, as well as the improvement and optimum exploitation of existing water wells, two desalination systems (250 m3/days/unit) and a 15 000 m3 storage facility (to cover summer peaks) are necessary. A study of a system combining diesel and wind energy was then carried out. The hourly operation of the desalination plant during each individual month was scheduled so that the system load factor was maximised. In this way, a computerised model (ASP) showed that four 225 kW wind turbines were needed. The results, in terms of water production cost, considering additional charges for water management and water supply network expenses, seem very attractive. As the cost of one cubic meter of imported water reaches 2,6 euros price, local drinking water produced by wind energy and desalination is set at 2 euros per m3, without any subsidy. Subsidies (40% of the budget for renewable energy systems implemented in Greece) would obviously lower this price.
(1) LDK Consultants, Engineers and Planners (Athens) co-ordinated this study called Development of water desalination plants through Reserve Osmosis powered by wind energy on the island of Patmos.
European Commission news
THE GREEN ELECTRICITY DIRECTIVE
ood news! The green electricity directive has been published. It suggests consistent objectives to each Member States. But it should be a long process until it is fully ratified.
After two years of pussyfooting around, the European Directive regulating energy production from renewable energies is back once again! Bruxels has ratified, on the 10 May, the proposal of Loyola de Palacio, the European Commissioner in charge of energy questions, who presented a new, flexible approach with the hope that the directive will finally see the light of day. The whole problem lies in trying to reconcile the constraints of opening up the European electricity market with the objectives set out by the White Paper on renewable energies, which projects increasing the share of green electricity in total European Union production from 13.9% in 1997 to 22.1% in 2010. The project, which should be submitted to the Council of Ministers for energy on May 31st is a compromise. Instead of imposing minimum objectives on each country (a formula that was rejected by the member states), >
RES-E % 1997 RES-E % 2010 RES-E % 1997 RES-E % 2010 without large without large hydroelectricity hydroelectricity
Austria Belgium Denmark Finland France Germany Greece Ireland Italy Luxemburg Netherlands Portugal Spain Sweden United Kingdom European Union
72.7 1.1 8.7 24.7 15.0 4.5 8.6 3.6 16.0 2.1 3.5 38.5 19.9 49.1 1.7 13.9%
78.1 6.0 29.0 35.0 21.0 12.5 20.1 13.2 25.0 5.7 12.0 45.6 29.4 60.0 10.0 22.1%
10.7 0.9 8.7 10.4 2.2 2.4 0.4 1.1 4.5 2.1 3.5 4.8 3.6 5.1 0.9 3.2%
21.1 5.8 29.0 21.7 8.9 10.3 14.5 11.7 14.9 5.7 12.0 21.5 17.5 15.7 9.3 12.5%
DG Tren has just opened a web site thats full of info on renewable energies in the European Union. Essentially oriented toward policies, programmes and projects supported by the European Commission, it also offers numerous links to other partner sites, as well as a very useful Whos Who of the universe of institutions dealing, from both near and far, with renewable energies in Europe.
National targets for renewable energy sources electricity (RES-E)
http://www.agores.org/
45
AGORES, A RENEWABLE ENERGIES AGORA
> the directive shall content itself, in a first stage, with getting in line with national
policies and targets. This is the principle of subsidiarity. In the face of the difficulty in getting the very disparate renewable energies support systems that exist at present to converge, the Commission has decided to set up an observation period with a view to proposing a harmonised European Union support system by 2005. In the meantime, it is going to make do with co-ordinating and controlling accomplishment of national targets, while still reserving the right to reinforce them if they prove insufficient. The member states are going to have to guarantee priority network access to green electricity producers, and this in a transparent and non-discriminating way.
DG TREN MERGER OF ENERGY AND TRANSPORT
ince December 1999, the DGXVII (Energy) and the DGVII (Transport)of the European Commission have merged to form the DG Tren (Energy and Transport - and not the other way around!). This is made up of seven subdivisions, named from A to G: General Affairs, Trans-European Networks Energy & Transport, Conventional Energies, New Energies & Demand Management, Inland Transport, Air Transport, Maritime Transport. The renewable energies sector is managed by Gnther Hanreich, and is composed of four units: Promotion of Renewable Energy Sources & Demand Management (Chief: Luc Werring, Deputy Head: Maringels Prez-Latorre), New & Renewable Energy Sources (Enzo Millich), Demand Management (Gonzalo Molina), Clean Urban Transport (Kevin Leydon).
How to become a renewable energy partner?

T H E R E N E WA B L E E N E RG Y PA R T N E R S H I P I S A S C H E M E CO M M I T T E D TO I N VO LV I N G P U B L I C A N D P R I VAT E AC TO R S I N T H E C TO .
he partnership is an expression of a voluntary commitment which contributes significantly towards the objectives of the Campaign for Take-Off for renewables
launched at the initiative of the European Commission. The aim of the RE partnership is to bring together, under a common banner, all the programmes, initiatives and actions undertaken in the renewable energy sector. In principle, every institution, company or organisation, both public and private, planning to contribute to the Campaign should have the possibility of joining the Partnership. Administrative procedures and guidelines should be such as to allow a wide membership of serious contributors to the Campaign. For instance, the municipality of Vxj (Sweden) became a partner through its ambitious Fossil Fuel Free Vxj programme. BP Amoco has declared its willingness to contribute to the CTO by installing photovoltaic panels on the canopies of 200 service stations in 10 different countries over the coming two years. So far, more than 15 partnerships have been signed. 200 are expected by 2003.
>>>DG Tren official web site: http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/dgs/ energy_transport/index_fr.htm
Welcome to the Altener programme!

On 3rd March 2000, the Official Journal of the European Communities announced that the Altener programme for the promotion of renewable energy sources, and support for the implementation of a Community strategy and action plan for renewable energy sources to the year 2010, will be implemented for the period covering 1998 to 2002 following a decision of the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. The decision took effect on 19th April 2000 (...) Luckily, the Altener programme didnt wait around doing nothing until the official announcement of its birth was made to get going!
46
47
The White Paper for a Community Strategy and Action Plan, Energy for the Future, sets an indicative objective of 12% for the contribution of renewable energy sources to the European Unions gross internal energy consumption by 2010.
Five video clips to understand green energies better

long with the Brussels agency, Contact, DG Tren has just published a VHS video cassette intended for the general public that includes four video clips showing the different aspects of the presence of renewable energies found in our daily lives. In the Netherlands, and more precisely in the Amersfoort neighbourhood in Nieuwland (see REJ issue 9), the inhabitants are living according to the rhythm of wind turbines, photocells and clean vehicles. In Lille, short-rotation copse and thickets are cleaning pollution from industrial waste water and supplying a vegetal-fuelled boiler. On Crete (see p. 41), thanks to the wind, to the sun and to olives, the island is going to become one of Europes best pupils in making use of renewable energies. In Denmark, liquid manure from pigs is supplying biogas cogeneration production units (see p. 25). And, finally, Stockholm, is adapting its infrastructures for green vehicles, a third of which will be running on biofuels or electricity.
CAMPAIGN FOR TAKE-OFF AWARDS

n order to help reach this objective, a Campaign for Take-Off (CTO) was launched in July 1999 for a period of four years. This campaign includes the CTO Awards, the best partnerships awards, organised by ObservER (France), on behalf of the European Commission, Directorate General Energy and Transport (DG Tren). This competition, open to all partners, will award 7 prizes: > One prize for the best partnership from all categories > One prize for the best industrial partnership > One prize for the best national scope partnership > One prize for the best regional scope partnership > Three prizes awarded to 100 communities Within this 100 communities category, prizes will be awarded for three different entry classifications: > City or town based communities > Rural communities > Geographically isolated communities Within the above categories, the jury will evaluate and nominate the candidates on the following criteria:finance architecture - communication - environment, and in terms of their outstanding contribution to one or more key sectors of the CTO. The CTO Awards competition will be open until Monday 17th July 2000. The awards ceremony will be held in Toulouse, on 25th October during the first CTO ALTENER conference.
For further information: About the CTO DG Tren official web site: http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/dgs/energy_transport/index_fr.htm Agores web site: http://www.agores.org About the CTO awards, and to receive an application form ObservER - Tel.: +33 1 44 18 00 80 - Fax: +33 1 44 18 00 36 Contact: Loc A. Blanchard - E-mail: observ.er@wanadoo.fr - www.observ-er.org
To receive this video cassette, contact: tren-cto-res@cec.eu.int
48

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Renewable Energy Journal

Just published The directive for electricity from renewables

Denmark Biogas does it all!

PHOTOVOLTAIC YEAR ONE

Toulouse, heading for The Hague

Photovoltaic Year One

Renewable Energy Journal

EUROPEAN COMMISSION NEWS

> this title with solid arguments in its favour.

Heliotrope in the spotlights of success

Berlin Energy of a newcomer on the stage

PHOTOVOLTAIC ON OFFICIAL BERLIN BUILDINGS

peak power (kWp)

PHOTOVOLTAIC MOVES INTO HIGH GEAR

ONE LAW FOR ALL RENEWABLE ENERGIES

> multiple categories: biogas, liquid

Renewable energy to boost E job creation

Manufacturing a wind turbine in a Nordex factory.

> created elsewhere in the economy. It also

10 350 440 (3) 4.3

11 375 713 6.3

11 950 875 7.3

12 950 1 066 8.2

TECHNOLOGIES AND BIOMASS FUELS STUDIED

> energy from renewables is predicted to

900 546 Total 2020 288 970 Agricultural waste

147 170 Forest residues

37 271 Bio combustion 120 285 Bio anareobic

GRAPH 2 PREDICTED EMPLOYMENT IMPACTS BY TECHNOLOGY

On course for a green economy

BARCELONA OBLIGATORY SOLAR HEATING

OUR FRIENDS THE PLANTS AND ANIMALS

Elephants are a gas!

Light from chicken droppings

Two power plants swimming in oil

LONDON PEABODY TRUST INVESTS IN PHOTOVOLTAIC

Green like the Sydney Olympics

BULGARIA TO SET UP 10 000 SOLAR INSTALLATIONS

A FUTURE SOLAR SUBURB

Hip-Hip has arrived

URBAN ENVIRONMENT RENEWABLE ENERGIES IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Biogas does it all

> all of the unit, assures us. With each of its

Herning: demonstration by biomass

Solar Energy, thats bright!

2 400 Total surface

GERMANY AIMING TO BECOME EUROPEAN LEADER

1 100 Surface installed thanks to "Solar na klar"

1 400 Surface installed without "Solar na klar"

Launching of the campaign

GROWTH SCENARIO FOR INSTALLED CAPACITIES OF SOLAR COLLECTORS, IN THOUSAND OF M2

PHOTOVOLTAIC ENERGY BAROMETER

29% GROWTH INCREASE

1 - volution of photovoltaic module and cell production (in MW)

Installed capacity end of 1998

Installed capacity end of 1999*

Installed capacity (%) in 1999

2 - Cumulated photovoltaic capacity per country (in MW)

3 095 White paper

1 440 Current trend

BIOFUELS ENERGY BAROMETER

1 - European biofuels production since 1992 (in tons)

Sweden 15,9 Spain 79,4 France 95,3 Canada 190,6