RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES (R.E.S.)

The occasional eight-point Greek position rise to the Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index of Ernst & Young (EY), R.E.S. (Renewable Energy Sources) will be analyzed on both domestic and global scale. As it was mentioned above, Greece now occupies 32th place compared to the 40^th, last year. This position is the highest occupied by Greece since 2013. Simultaneously, China and India occupy the top positions of the index and manage to displace the US in third place for the first time since 2015 (EY, 2017).

Renewable Energy Sources are defined as non-fossil renewable energy sources, wind, solar and geothermal energy, wave energy, tidal energy, hydropower, landfill gas and biogas (DIRECTIVE 2001/77 / EC, Ministry of Environment and Energy).

Renewable Electricity Production comes from a variety of sources. Specifically, the exploitation can be from wind or solar energy or biomass or biogas. Another source of origin may be the exploitation of geothermal energy. Energy from the sea and the exploitation of water resources with small hydropower stations whose power does not exceed 10 MW are, also, possible sources. Combination of the above sources or co-generation of geothermal energy with wind or solar or biomass or biogas can be combined, as reported by the Greek Ministry of Environment and Energy. 

Figure 1.Renewable Energy Sources

The National Action Plan for Renewable Energy Sources was carried out as an implementation of the European Energy Policy in relation to the access of Renewable Energy Sources, Energy Saving and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. As far as the members of the European Union are concerned by 2020, they are expected to have fulfilled:

(a) 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to 1990 levels,

 (b) 20% entry of Renewable Energy Sources into gross final energy consumption and

(c) 20% primary energy savings (Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change).

In the framework of the European Union, Britain has achieved a record in the production of electricity from renewable energy sources, since, their participation in total energy production reached 29.8% in the second quarter of 2017 presenting an increase of 4,4% compared to last year. On the other hand, Greece's energy production for the first quarter of 2017 is 15.4%, 0.7% below the average of the European Union, which is 16.6%.

It is worth mentioning that 11 EU members (Bulgaria, Sweden, Romania, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Croatia, Lithuania, Italy, Luxembourg and Finland) have already achieved their national 2020 targets (EMEAGR, 2017).

In 2015, the highest energy consumption rates from R.E.S. were recorded in Sweden with 53.9%, Finland 39.3%, Latvia 37.6% and Austria 32.1%. As for the lowest, were recorded in Luxembourg and Malta by 5%, in the Netherlands by 5.8%, in Belgium by 7.9% and in the United Kingdom by 8.2% (Athenian-Macedonian News Agency, 2017).

For Greece, the projected proportion of installed capacity per Renewable Energy Technology (R.E.S.) and the producer category and its breakdown over time for 2014 and 2020 are allocated as follows (Decision on Intended Power Ratio and its distribution in time between the different Renewable Energy Technologies, Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change, 2010, Athens):

Table 1.Established power limits (MW) per RES technology and producer category (Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change, 2010).

	2014	2020
Hydroelectric	3700	4650
Small (0-15MW)	300	350
Major (>15MW)	3400	4300
PV	1500	220
Installations by professional farmers in case (b) of par. 6 of Article 15 of Law 3851/2010	500	750
other facilities	1000	1450
Solar thermal	210	250
Wind	4000	7500
Biomass	200	350

It is worth noting that the energy consumption from renewable sources in Greece shows a continuous increase, which is recorded from 6.9% in 2004 to 13.5% in 2012 and 15.4% in 2015.

Electricity production in Greece comes, mainly, from thermoelectric power stations. In our country, there are four regions with significant reserves of lignite, in Drama, West Macedonia, Elassona and Megalopolis. According to the 2011 data, for the interconnected system (National R.E.A. plan of 2012), the 66.5% of the installed capacity of the power stations are thermal ones, of which 4930 MW lignite, 730 MW oil and 4579 MW natural gas. Lignite is the major domestic energy source, contributing 53.15% of domestic production for 2011. Natural gas contributes 28.3%.

In order to protect the environment, emphasis is placed on the inlet of natural gas into the energy balance. Since the lifetime of the already known exploitable lignite reserves does not exceed 35 years, it has been argued that it is necessary to introduce new fuels such as hard coal into the Greek electricity balance to extend the availability and use of lignite to a greater depth time (PAE / RAE, 2017).

Diagram 1.R.E.S. admittance estimation (Ministry of Environment and Energy)

 Greece's target is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 4% in non-trading sectors compared to 2005 levels, and 18% R.E.S. access into final consumption. The Greek government, however, has set a target of 20% R.E.S. participation in final energy consumption, part of which will be used for 40% participation in electricity generation, 20% for heating and cooling and 10% for transport (National Renewable Energy Action, 2012).

Bibliography

EY, 2017 Reached 30/9/2017 by http://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/EY-RECAI-49-May-2017-index-at-a-glance/$FILE/EY-RECAI-49-May-2017-index-at-a-glance.pdf

Renewable Energy Sources, Reached 30/9/2017 by http://www.ypeka.gr/?tabid=285

Figure 1, Reached 1/10/2017 by: http://entaxi.webnode.gr/products/klimatiki-allagi-ananeosimes-piges-energeias1/

National Renewable Energy Action Plan, MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE, Reached 30/9/2017 by http://www.ypeka.gr/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=vBWJVY3FdTk%3D&

EMEAGR, Reached 3/10/2017 by https://emea.gr/%CE%B2%CF%81%CE%B5%CF%84%CE%B1%CE%BD%CE%AF%CE%B1-%CF%84%CE%BF-29-%CF%84%CE%B7%CF%82-%CE%B7%CE%BB%CE%B5%CE%BA%CF%84%CF%81%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%AE%CF%82-%CE%B5%CE%BD%CE%AD%CF%81%CE%B3%CE%B5%CE%B9%CE%B1/526572/526572/

15.4% of the share of renewable energy in Greece in 2015, compared to 16.1% in the EU, the Athens-Macedonian News Agency, Reached 1/10/2017 by http://www.amna.gr/home/article/146446/

Decision on the projected proportion of installed power and its distribution over time between the various Renewable Energy Technologies, MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE, 2010, Reached 2/10/2017 by http://www.ypeka.gr/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=xlbflqrdKMo%3d&tabid=285&language=el-GR