An Analysis of the Use of Energy from Conventional Fossil Fuels and Green Renewable Energy in the Context of the European Union’s Planned Energy Transformation

Abstract

Over the past few years, considerable emphasis has been put on decarbonization, which, in the context of the recent events in Europe, proves that mixing energy sources is the best strategy. This article discusses ways in which individual EU member states manage their energy source diversification, while comparing their levels of fossil fuels and renewable energy sources (RESs) usage. The research data was acquired from the Eurostat website and comprises of 15 indicators describing the use of energy both from conventional and renewable sources in the European Union, in 2019. The study employs taxonomical methods, such as ranking and cluster analysis. The authors put forward a hypothesis that EU member states approach the use of energy resources in several ways. There are countries which take advantage of both traditional and renewable sources (Netherlands, Germany, Austria, and Italy). However, there is a group of states that relies on a single energy source and exclusively uses either traditional (Poland) or renewable energy resources (Sweden, Finland). The analyses enabled the isolation of country clusters with similar activities and energy strategies.

Assessment of Energy and Heat Consumption Trends and Forecasting in the Small Consumer Sector in Poland Based on Historical Data

“…Jałowiec et al [185], on the basis of the analysis of the Polish and German policies towards decarbonization and energy usage, think that Germany is poised to emerge as the dominant player in the era of energy transition. A similar assumption can be found in the analysis prepared by Chudy-Laskowska and Pisula [186].…”

Energy Transformation Development Strategies: Evaluation of Asset Conversion in the Regions

“…Public policies directed to improve environmental awareness should be directed first towards those regions where the exposure of the citizens to pollution is lower [13]. The European Union understood these risks-the European Green Deal sets out guidelines on how to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050 and provides the most comprehensive package of measures enabling Europe's inhabitants and businesses to benefit from a sustainable ecological transformation [14]. The abundance of renewable energy technologies encourages a review of the directions of transformation from a sustainability perspective.…”

Critical Review on the Sustainability of Electric Vehicles: Addressing Challenges without Interfering in Market Trends

“…As shown in the right column in Figure 3, the use of renewable power sources, such as solar panels, has been said to solve the problem and effectively allows for statement 5 of the sustainability principles to be followed. However, this might be true when the amount of EVs is relatively small (as it is nowadays), but the growth of the market share comes with an increase in electricity consumption, and, right now, the electricity sector is far from having 100% renewable power sources [37]. Moreover, reaching this high rate of renewables in the transportation industry seems somewhat unrealistic, according to Sacchi et al [38], and in many locations, the use of photovoltaic panels may be problematic due to limitations in land occupation, thus requiring a deeper analysis [39] of alternatives.…”