Renewable Energy Represents 17.3 per cent of Total Electricity Consumption in First Quarter

In the first quarter of 2015, renewable energy totalled 17.3 per cent of Estonia’s total consumption compared to 13.5 per cent during the same period in 2014.

Estonia has undertaken to cover 13.2 per cent of domestic electricity consumption with renewable energy in 2015 and to increase the share of renewable energy to 17.6 per cent by the year 2020.

Altogether, 439 gigawatt-hours of renewable energy were produced in the first quarter of 2015 and production increased by a quarter compared to the first quarter of last year.

Wind energy represented 53 per cent of total renewable energy production of the quarter and, primarily by virtue of production in January and February, wind energy production increased by 43 per cent, reaching 232 gigawatt-hours year-on-year. Growth was due to the windy beginning of the year. Measurements on the Pakri Peninsula and in Virtsu showed an increase of a third in average daily wind speed. 10.6 million euros of subsidies were paid for wind energy over three months, 37 per cent more than at the same time last year.

Every year, wind energy receives subsidies to a maximum amount of 600 gigawatt-hours. Over the first three months of the year, the amount of wind energy that received subsidies reached 198 gigawatt-hours, meaning that 33 per cent of the aided production is filled. If favourable wind conditions continue, the amount of aided wind energy might get realized by the middle of the fourth quarter this year.

In the first quarter, 44 per cent of renewable energy production came from biomass, biogas and waste. 195 gigawatt-hours of electricity was produced from these sources in three months, with production increasing by 12 per cent year-on-year. Electricity produced from biomass, biogas and waste received 8.6 million euros in subsidies, five per cent more than a year before.

In the first quarter of the year, 12.2 gigawatt-hours of hydro-energy was produced and 471,000 euros was paid in subsidies.

Additions to the network of solar energy producers continued expeditiously in the first quarter of the year and, within a year, the number of producers receiving subsidies has grown by approximately 100, reaching 211 producers. Solar energy production is still very small compared to other energy sources and the total amount of subsidies paid out was a little over 4000 euros in the first quarter. The amount of solar energy transferred to the grid in three months totalled 0.1 gigawatt-hours.

In the first quarter, Elering paid renewable energy subsidies in the amount of 19.7 million euros for 367 gigawatt-hours of electricity. In financial calculations, the amount of renewable energy subsidies increased 20.2 per cent compared to the first quarter of last year.

In the first quarter, subsidies for efficient combined heat and power were 5.8 per cent higher than at the same time last year. Electricity produced through aided combined heat and power represented 52 gigawatt-hours and subsidies in the amount of 1.6 million euros were paid out.

More information on renewable energy subsidies can be found here.