ASSESSMENT OF THE PROSPECTS FOR USING UNCONVENTIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES IN THE NEXT TWENTY YEARS

Abstract

The relevance of the research. The energy supply problems in a large group of European countries and the rising cost of gas in autumn and winter 2021 showed the difficulties of switching from conventional energy to non-conventional renewables. The task of assessing the maximum possible degree of substitution of electricity generated by nuclear and thermal power plants with electricity generated by non-conventional renewable energy sources (wind, solar) has become relevant. The aim of the research is to compare, using Germany as an example, the amount of electricity generated by the country's renewables that is actually used and the total amount of electricity consumption in all sectors of the country's economy. Methods: analysis of statistical data on unconventional renewable energy using the example of Germany from 1990 to 2018 and the EU as a whole for the last 7 years. Results. Analysis of EU and German energy statistics over a sufficiently long period of time has shown that the maximum share of developed country electricity generated from unconventional renewables cannot be higher than 15–18 % of total electricity consumption without the use of large energy storage facilities. The current lack of information on the use of electrical energy storage devices generated by non-traditional renewable energy sources gives grounds for the conclusion that industrial enterprises, railway transport, public utilities cannot yet use the electricity generated by non-traditional renewable energy sources. The information published in the media and in Internet sources on the volumes of electricity generated by non-traditional renewable sources does not reflect the actual volumes of electricity used, generated by non-traditional renewable sources.

Keywords

• conventional and non-conventional renewable energy sources
• electricity supply
• resource efficiency
• energy storage
• wind turbines
• solar panels