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Distributed Generation Markets in Europe: Expansion, Investment and Future Opportunities
Business Insights, March 2010, Pages: 144
European efforts to combat climate change, improve security of supply, drive forward innovation, and boost competitiveness over the next decade will cause the distributed generation (DG) share of Europe's installed electricity generation capacity to grow considerably. These drivers are encapsulated in the EU's Energy and Climate Change Package endorsed for 2020, which sets ambitious headline targets for the EU. Furthermore, the growth of DG is an integral component of an emerging vision of an efficient and highly responsive 'European smart grid', in which the actions of all electricity users are fully integrated, and the liberalization of the EU electricity market is pursued to a 'user-centric' conclusion.
According to Improgres (Improvement of the Social Optimal Outcome of Market Integration of Distributed Generation (DG) and renewable energy resources (RES) in European Electricity Markets), EU-27 electricity generation from DG/RES will rise from 490 terrawatt hours per year (TWh/yr) in 2005 to about 1,280TWh/yr in 2030. The proportionate share of electricity generated will also grow from about 15% to approximately 26% during the same timeframe.
But there are a number of barriers holding back the further spread of DG in the European market. These range from simple commercial issues, such as the fact that the power produced is not currently cost-effective compared to bulk generated electricity, to more complex regulatory reforms. As well as great political will, overcoming all these hurdles involves money. Indeed, it is estimated that Europe will need to spend €2 trillion on upgrading its grid infrastructure over the next quarter century.
Key features of this report
- Analysis of the key drivers of Distributed Generation, as well as the major barriers to this sector.
- Clarification of the current share of Distributed Generation in the EU-27 and how this is likely to change over the next 20 years.
- Assessment of the latest legislation impacting the Distributed Generation market in Europe
- Assessment of how the European Grid infrastructure is changing and what developments need to be taken in order to integrate a greater share of DG
- Identification of the key Distributed Generation technologies that are shaping the future of the market.
Scope of this report
- Achieve a quick and comprehensive understanding of the Distributed Generation sector in Europe
- Realize how the European power infrastructure is changing as government’s increasingly focus on reducing carbon dioxide emissions and improving security of supply
- Achieve a comprehensive understanding of the major barriers preventing a wide uptake of Distributed Generation and how these are being overcome
- Identify which countries are leading the way regarding Distributed Generation and which are struggling to embrace this area
- Identify how the legislative landscape is changing and how this will impact the Distributed Generation market over the next decade
Key Market Issues
- Environmental concerns:- Reducing the carbon footprint and finding new and more efficient ways of delivering power are fundamental drivers behind the overall take-up of Distributed Generation. Although CO2 emissions are falling in Europe due to increasing efficiency and measures enacted as a result of the Kyoto agreement, it remains a major polluter, accounting for 16% of the world's emissions.
- Security of supply:- The expansion of Distributed Generation across EU markets, in conjunction with other generating options, has the potential to enhance European energy security, a political motivation of high importance in Brussels. EU states are understandably wary of an over dependence on any single external energy supplier. Russia, in particular, as Europe's leading oil, gas and coal supplier, has triggered alarm bells in recent years after withholding energy from the Ukraine.
- Changing infrastructure:- As the share of Distributed Generation increases this will require the rapid evolution in distribution systems from 'passive' networks, focusing almost exclusively on the delivery of electricity to end-users, to 'active' networks, incorporating many of the control functions, services and tools traditionally associated with transmission systems.
Key findings from this report
- The rate of development for Distributed Generation varies in Europe, with Western Europe leading the drive in this sector, while Eastern Europe lags behind.
- The EU will witness a surge in new electricity production derived from renewable sources of energy, effectively doubling from 450GWh in 2005 to 943GWh in 2030. This includes large-scale plants operated by utilities, as well as smaller facilities. It is possible that by 2030, both CHP and RES will be more important as sources of electricity generation than nuclear power.
- Europe’s future power architecture will include 'microgrids', where network operators control all local loads, storage and generation, which can be separated from the transmission system in the event of an upstream failure, or 'virtual power plants', which electronically connect and aggregate the power from a geographically dispersed set of distributed generation plants.
- Incentive schemes are crucial for the development of Distributed Generation and Renewable Energy, which remains for the most part uncompetitive compared to traditional energy sources.
Key questions answered
- What are the drivers shaping and influencing the Distributed Generation market in Europe?
- Which countries are leading the way regarding Distributed Generation?
- Which technologies are having the most impact on the Distributed Generation market?
- How is increasing power consumption and fears over the environmental impact of power generation increasing support for Distributed Generation at a national level?
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