Quelles sont les énergies renouvelables en France en 2022?

Renewable energy is energy that comes from sources that nature replenishes constantly, as opposed to non-renewable energy whose stocks are depleting.

There are five main families of renewable energies that are most commonly used:

• • Wind energy is the energy of the wind. Wind turbines are located on land and at sea. Their purpose is to generate electricity using the power of the wind.
  • Solar energy is energy from the sun. Three forms of energy can be generated thanks to the sun. There are thermal and thermodynamic energies, created from heat, and photovoltaic energy that produces energy from sunlight, notably through solar panels.
  • Biomass is the conversion of organic and plant materials (such as animal waste) into a source of energy. This can take the form of heat production, electricity, and heating.
  • Hydropower is energy produced by the force of water movements. This energy is used for electricity production.
  • Geothermal energy is energy created by the heat of the earth and through very hot water located in the earth’s aquifers. Geothermal energy is used for heat production.

Renewable energies in France are mainly used for heat production (42%), but also for transportation (30%) and finally for electricity generation (28%).

Renewable energy consumption in France continues to grow in 2022. Between 1990 and 2000, the consumption of renewable energies increased by 84%. In 2020, it accounted for more than 19.1% of energy consumption. According to the Energy Transition Law for Green Growth, the goal is for the share of renewable energies to reach 33% by 2030.

In France, the primary source of renewable energy in the energy mix is wood energy production, which accounts for 114 billion TWh, representing 35.8% of all renewable energies. This wood energy production is mainly used for heating and, as the name suggests, involves producing energy from wood, for example, by burning it.

Wood energy is categorized as biomass, which is the use of living matter to produce energy and is the oldest form of energy used by humans. Wood energy production is used to generate electricity for heating purposes. There are two main types of heating systems that utilize renewable energies:
Heat pumps that extract natural heat from the air, ground, and water, which is then converted into heat for the house.
Wood pellet boilers, efficient for providing heating and hot water to a house more economically.

Electricity production from hydraulic energy is also very significant in France, as it is the second most used renewable energy source in France with 58 billion TWh, representing 18% of the total energy consumption in France.

Energy sources help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and offer opportunities for sustainable and renewable energy production. Renewable energies are both better for the planet and for health, providing cleaner air compared to the use of fossil fuels. 7 million people die each year due to fossil energy pollution (according to the World Health Organization). Choosing renewable energies is preferable as they play an important role in energy efficiency.

Renewable energies also contribute to energy independence. There are citizen renewable energy projects, which involve the creation of environmental projects for everyone and by everyone.

Finally, there are carbon offset measures, which will remove carbon from nature, or enable others to produce less. This carbon is subtracted when calculating your carbon footprint.

These measures include reforestation, the installation of solar panels for external use by the company, or supporting other environmental projects.

Renewable energies have the advantage of ensuring climate, economic, ecological, and social stability. The risk of accidents during production is very low, making renewable energies secure. It is also worth noting that the amount of waste produced is very low and that the waste in question is recyclable. Renewable energy allows for significant reductions in CO2 emissions, and the resources used are infinite thanks to wind, water, and sunlight. However, renewable energies also have disadvantages, which means they do not yet represent 100% of the energy mix.

Renewable energies also have disadvantages. The main drawback is the availability of energy because it depends mainly on the climate, sunlight, wind… Some constructions have a negative impact on the ecosystem and can pollute wildlife in certain areas as power plants block the migrations of certain animals. For instance, wind turbines are dangerous for birds.

Renewable energies have many advantages, they are the only ecological and sustainable energies for the future.

Although the question of energy availability arises, it is possible to produce 100% of electricity through renewable energies. This is what happened on Saturday, April 30, 2022 in California: for 15 minutes, it produced 100% of its electricity using renewable energies. Over 65% of their energy was produced by solar energy and the rest by wind energy, through the power of the wind. After about fifteen minutes, renewable energies had dropped back to 97% of the total energy used.