What is the energy mix?

The energy mix monitors the use of energy sources. It allows comparing the evolution of energy use over time, between countries, and across sectors of activity. There are three main benefits to the energy mix, which are:

• diversification of energy sources
• setting objectives at the level of a company or a country
• comparison over time and between sectors and countries

There are two reasons for the diversification of energy sources:

1. The first reason is the requirement and available means. For example, it is currently impossible to power a car using biomass. Additionally, the production and supply of green energies do not yet allow this energy to occupy 100% of France’s energy mix.

2. The second reason is the need for independence for energy flexibility. For example, by reducing the prevalence of oil in the energy mix, your company will be less affected by price increases and potential shortages.

The energy mix provides an overview of energy consumption over a specific period. This allows for the establishment of energy production objectives. These objectives can be set with an economic, ecological, or regulatory perspective.

According to the production method, the same amount of energy does not have the same cost or carbon impact. Your energy mix will allow you to see what percentage of “expensive” or carbon-intensive energy you are using, and what optimizations need to be made to improve your profitability. Other economic criteria to consider include the carbon tax or state aid to transition to greener energies.

The energy mix highlights your various sources of energy. It therefore becomes easy to identify the proportion of highly polluting energies, such as coal or fossil fuels, in your energy consumption. This observation will allow you to identify your consumption points and seek alternative energy sources to power them.

Finally, the energy mix will allow you to verify that your company is complying with its obligations, and to calculate any carbon taxes that you may have to pay.

Here are some energy sources that you are likely to find in your energy mix.

Nuclear energy is the main source of the French energy mix. This source is both low in carbon and cost-effective. It is produced in large quantities and represents 70% of the French energy mix in 2019 (according to planète-énergies). However, discussions are ongoing regarding the sustainability of this energy source. Potential risks are being discussed, as well as nuclear waste, which is currently impossible to dispose of effectively.

Energy comes from machines that convert the movement of water into energy. Wind energy follows the same principle, using the movement of air. These energy sources do not emit CO2 during their production. The main challenge faced is the ability to produce and transport this energy in large quantities. However, they already represent the second and third positions in the French energy mix, accounting for 17.5%* of total French energy in 2019. Hydraulic and wind energies are the top two sources of renewable energy in France.

Biomass is the set of plant materials that can be converted into electricity. Biomass releases little CO2 during the energy conversion process. This CO2 is then absorbed by the forests that produce the biomass, making biomass a renewable energy source. The amount of energy produced does not allow biomass to have a predominant place in the energy mix today. In fact, the cost of biomass energy is about twice as high as the cost of nuclear energy today.

Natural gas is currently the third energy source in the French energy mix, accounting for 7.2%* in 2019. This gas is extracted from underground reserves and is therefore a non-renewable fossil energy.

Oil is obtained through drilling and represents 4% of the French energy mix. It is a non-renewable fossil energy, whose price is expected to increase as the available quantity decreases.

Coal is almost absent from the French energy mix, while it represents 36.4%* of the global energy mix in 2019. Nuclear power, on the other hand, accounts for 70% of French electricity production, but only 10% of the global energy mix. Each country makes different energy choices based on prices and available resources. For instance, a landlocked country will use less hydraulic energy.

Year after year, France aims to make its energy mix greener by choosing energy sources that emit less CO2. Investments are being made to discover new green energies and ways to exploit them on a large scale. The “Energy and Climate Bill” announces a net zero CO2 emissions target by 2050. This will be characterized by methods to encourage companies to adjust their energy mix, either by promoting green energies with incentives, or by discouraging other energies with taxes.

In addition to optimizing your energy mix and the distribution of energy sources used, Dametis helps you optimize your energy efficiency, to achieve the best profitability with the least amount of energy possible.