Renewable energy comprises 13.5 per cent of total electricity consumed in third quarter

In the third quarter of this year, Estonian power plants produced 279 gigawatt-hours of renewable energy and renewable energy comprised 13.5 per cent of total electricity consumption in Estonia, one per cent less compared to the previous quarter.

In the third quarter, wind energy comprised 43.5 per cent of total renewable energy production and, due to favourable wind conditions, the 121 gigawatt-hours of wind energy produced was more than 10 per cent in comparison to the same period last year.

From July to September, Elering paid 5.6 million euros in subsidies for wind energy, which is also more than one tenth that of the same period last year. 88 per cent of the total wind energy produced was subsidised and 20 per cent of the wind energy subsidies planned for the year were paid out during the quarter. In the first nine months of this year, 54 per cent of the subsidised wind energy’s 600 gigawatt-hour maximum has been paid out. Due to more favourable wind conditions, 72 per cent of the subsidy rate allowed for wind energy was paid out by the end of September last year.

In the third quarter, 54 per cent of renewable energy production came from electricity produced from biomass, biogas and waste. 150 gigawatt-hours of electricity was produced from these fuel sources in the three month period. In the third quarter last year, production was almost 15 per cent higher. Electricity produced from biomass, biogas and waste received 7.2 million euros in subsidies in the third quarter.

In the third quarter, seven gigawatt-hours of electricity were produced from hydro energy and 264,726 euros was paid out in subsidies.

The number of solar panel owners receiving subsidies is still increasing rapidly and currently over 600 producers are producing electricity energy with solar panels. Compared to previous periods, when owners of detached houses mainly used up to 11-kilowatt capacity to produce electricity from the sun, recently an increasing amount of 50 to 200-kilowatt capacity solar plants belonging to commercial enterprises have begun to appear. In the third quarter, the amount of electricity energy produced from solar panels and transferred to the grid totalled one gigawatt-hour.

According to the weather service, there has been an average of 15 per cent less sunshine from July to September this year compared to the same period last year. As the micro producers consume most of the solar energy that they produce domestically, the total amount of electricity produced from solar panels is estimated to be four or five times more than the subsidised amount.

In the third quarter, Elering paid renewable energy subsidies in the amount of 13.2 million euros for 245 gigawatt-hours of electricity. In financial calculations, the amount of renewable energy subsidies remained on the same scale as last year’s third quarter.

In the third quarter of this year, subsidies for the production of efficient combined heat and power were slightly less than at the same time last year – 450,000 euros. Electricity produced through combined heat and power totalled 14 gigawatt-hours.

Electricity consumers finance subsidies for renewable energy and efficient combined heat and power through the renewable energy fee. In the third quarter, Elering collected 16 million euros of this fee. More information on renewable energy subsidies can be found here.