EDORA, the federation representing the renewable energy sector in Wallonia and Brussels, published a study exploring how to make this target a reality. It estimates that Belgium can reach 13% renewable energy in 2020, without excessive costs and with net benefits in terms of employment, investment and competitiveness. 

 

Measures will be needed to adapt infrastructures, remove administrative barriers and stabilise the legislative framework. In the electricity sector, for instance, it is crucial to put in place a stable support scheme adapted to the maturity of each technology, to modernise the electricity grid and extend it to cover offshore developments.  In the heat sector, Belgium should impose a minimum percentage of energy in new and refurbished buildings to come from renewable energy sources  and promote district heating using renewable energy sources. Regarding the integration of renewable energy sources in the transport sector, experience shows that fuel distributors only use biofuels if there is a financial incentive or an obligation to use them. 

During the 1973‐74 oil crisis, Denmark was 99% dependent on imported energy. Thirty years later, Denmark has developed strong energy efficiency policies and boosted the development of renewable energy sources to provide 27% of its electricity. Denmark has become one of the few net energy exporters in the EU and the third most competitive country in the world. It is a global leader in the wind power sector: Danish wind turbine industry exports serve about 1/3 of the world market. 

 

Thanks to a stable support scheme, the so-called “feed in tariffs”, the share of renewable energies in the German electricity consumption now stands at 14.2%: it was multiplied by two in only six years!  In 2007, renewable energies contributed to climate protection with a CO2 saving of around 115 million tones and to the creation of about 249,300 jobs.

 

In 2006, Spain became one of the countries with the most advanced solar legislation in the world. The Spanish government approved the new Technical Buildings Code which includes an obligation to cover 30-70% of the Domestic Hot Water demand with solar thermal energy in new and refurbished buildings. This regulation has encouraged a wave of investments in production facilities at European level, and in the distribution and marketing structures in Spain.

 

The announcement of the 20% EU renewable energy target was a first and important step in recognizing the need for a shift towards a sustainable energy system. The European industry is ready to deliver about 35% of Europe’s electricity needs by 2020, depending on the energy efficiency achievements, 25 % of heat from renewable energy sources and 10 % biofuels by 2020. Now it is high time to take the second step:  Implement the necessary legislation to make this goal a reality in Belgium and in Europe. The current financial turmoil is an opportunity to address both the economic and climate change crises with a new “green deal” as a basis for a prosperous European economy.