Alternative >> Renewable Sources

To be considered as a renewable energy source, the energy source, or “fuel”, must be replaced by natural processes at a rate that is equal to, or faster than, the rate at which the energy source is consumed.

Renewable energy has an important role to play in reducing Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions - a major Community objective.

Increasing the share of renewable energy in the energy balance enhances sustainability. It also helps to improve the security of energy supply by reducing the Community's growing dependence on imported energy sources.

Renewable energy sources are expected to be economically competitive with conventional energy sources in the medium to long term.

Solar, biomass, geothermal, wind and low-impact hydro are considered as eligible green power resources due to their respective environmental benefits and expressed consumer preference.

The need for Community support for Renewable Energy is clear. Several of the technologies, especially wind energy, but also small-scale hydro power, energy from biomass, and solar thermal applications, are economically viable and competitive. The others, especially photovoltaic (silicon module panels directly generating electricity from the sun’s light raher than heat), depend only on rapidly increasing demand and thus production volume to achieve the economy of scale necessary for competitiveness with central generation.