Renewable energy covered 17.1 per cent of total power consumption last year

A total of 1662 gigawatt-hours of electricity from renewable sources was produced last year in Estonia – about the same amount as in 2017. Renewable energy output made up 17.1 per cent of total electricity consumption.

Estonia has set the goal to increase the share of renewable energy to 17.6 per cent of total consumption by the year 2020. The interim goal for 2018 was 16.1 per cent.

In Q4 of last year, renewable energy made up 18.7 per cent of total consumption in Estonia. The respective figure in Q4 of 2017 was 18.9 per cent.

The quantity of renewable energy subsidized last year grew nine per cent, to 1587 gigawatt-hours.

Last year, biomass, biogas and waste accounted for 62 per cent of total renewable energy output. A total of 1040 gigawatt-hours was produced from these sources during the year. The quantity of energy produced from these sources in 2017 was 908 gigawatt-hours.

Wind energy made up 36 per cent of total renewable energy output in 2018, and wind farms generated a total 590 gigawatt-hours of power during the year. Total wind energy output dropped 12 per cent year-on-year. As a result, the limit on support for subsidized wind energy – 600 gigawatt-hours per calendar year – was not reached last year, either. Subsidized wind energy output was 490 gigawatt-hours – i.e., 82 per cent of the limit.

Hydroelectric output last year was 19 gigawatt-hours. The greatest growth last year compared to 2017 was again seen in solar – the volume of power generated almost tripled, to 13 gigawatt-hours and the subsidy amounts also rose by the same amount, exceeding more than 715,000 euros for the year. This amount was bigger than the 540,000 euros paid in subsidies to hydro power, but made up only a marginal part of the support disbursed. During the year, over 700 new solar producers with PV panels joined the grid and a total of over 1,600 producers now produce solar electricity.

In 2018, efficient co-generation support was paid in the same amount as 2017 – 3.5 million euros. The quantity of electricity produced and supported in efficient co-generation mode was around 110 gigawatt-hours.

A total of 83 million euros was paid in renewable energy and efficient co-generation production subsidies, which was six per cent more than in 2017.