What renewable energies will be available in France in 2022?
CO2 is one of the main components of air pollution. As part of an ecological approach, calculating your company’s carbon footprint will enable you to assess your production of this gas. This will enable you to find out where you stand, raise awareness and discover ways of reducing your carbon footprint.
What is renewable energy?
Renewable energy is energy that comes from sources that nature constantly renews, as opposed to non-renewable energy whose stocks are running out.
There are five main families of renewable energies, which are the most widely used:
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- Wind power, which is the energy of the wind. Wind turbines are located on land and at sea. Their purpose is to generate electricity using the force 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, which produces energy from sunlight, notably via solar panels.
- Biomass is the transformation of organic and vegetable matter (animal waste, for example) into a source of energy. This can take the form of heat, electricity or heating production.
- Hydropower is the energy produced by the force of moving water. This energy is used to generate electricity.
- Geothermal energy is the energy created by the heat of the earth, thanks to the very hot water found in the earth’s water tables. Geothermal energy is used to produce heat.
What renewable energies are available in France?
Renewable energies in France are mainly used for heat production (42%), but also for transport (30%) and electricity production (28%).
Key figures for renewable energies in France in 2022
Renewable energy consumption in France in 2022 will continue to grow. Between 1990 and 2000, renewable energy consumption rose by 84%. By 2020, they accounted for more than 19.1% of energy consumption. According to the French Energy Transition Law for Green Growth, the target is to increase the share of renewable energies to 33% by 2030.
Heating, France’s biggest energy consumer
In France, the leading renewable energy source in the energy mix is wood-energy production, which represents 114 billion TWh, or 35.8% of all renewable energies. Wood-energy production is mainly used for heating and, as the name suggests, is the production of 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 the oldest form of energy used by man. Wood energy production is used to generate electricity for heating. There are two main types of heating system that use renewable energies:
The heat pump, which recovers the heat naturally present in the air, earth and water, which is then transformed into heat for the home.
The wood pellet boiler, efficient for supplying a home with heating and hot water more economically.
Hydroelectric power generation is also very important in France, as it is the second largest source of renewable energy used in France, with 58 billion TWh, representing 18% of total energy consumption in France.
What role do renewable energies play?
Energies help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and offer sustainable energy production options. Renewable energies are both better for the planet and for our health, providing cleaner air than fossil fuels. 7 million people die every year from fossil fuel pollution (according to the World Health Organization). It is preferable to choose renewable energies, as they play an important role inenergy efficiency.
Renewable energies also contribute to energy independence. In particular, there are citizen renewable energy projects, i.e. the creation of environmental projects for all and by all.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of renewable energies?
Finally, there are carbon offsetting 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, and support for other environmental projects.
The advantages of renewable energies
Renewable energies have the advantage of ensuring climatic, economic, ecological and social stability. The risk of accidents during production is very low, making renewable energies safe. The amount of waste produced is also very low, and the waste in question can be recycled. Renewable energy enables significant reductions in CO2 emissions, and the resources used are infinite, thanks to wind, water and sun. However, renewable energies also have their drawbacks, which mean that they do not yet represent 100% of the energy mix.
The disadvantages of renewable energies
Renewable energies also have their drawbacks. The main drawback is the availability of energy, since it depends mainly on climate, sunshine, wind… Some constructions have a negative impact on the ecosystem and can pollute wildlife in certain places, since power plants block the migrations of certain animals. Wind turbines, for example, are dangerous for birds.
What does the future hold for renewable energies in France in 2022?
Renewable energies have many advantages, and are the only environmentally-friendly and sustainable energies for the future.
Although the question of energy availability arises, it is possible to produce 100% of electricity using renewable energies. That’s what happened on Saturday, April 30, 2022 in California: for 15 minutes, it produced 100% of its electricity with renewable energies. Over 65% of their energy was generated by solar power, and the rest by wind power. After 15 minutes, the renewable energies had fallen back to 97% of the total energy used.
Dametis helps you use renewable energies
Dametis can advise and support you in your use of renewable energies and their integration into your energy mix, so that you get the best energy solution.
