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Page added on December 18, 2015
Where in the world have we have achieved 100% renewable power?
In a few places around the world, humans have achieved a feat that seemed impossible just a few years ago, and still seems inconceivable nearly everywhere else: They’ve stopped burning fossil fuels for electricity.
Throughout 2015, several nations, states and cities announced they had either managed the switch to renewables, or to a massive increase in non-polluting energy production. It’s a big shift from a time when, after the financial crash of 2008, many dismissed renewable energy as unscalable, niche, or too expensive to consider.
So who is producing the most power from renewable sources, and how are they doing it? The areas that go 100% renewable tend to combine two factors: great natural resources (like the terrain needed for hydropower) and small populations (getting power to everyone is easier when there are only a few million of them). Others might not be quite at 100% yet—but are taking impressive steps towards it.
Costa Rica
A small country in both land mass and population, Costa Rica made headlines in March when it emerged that the country had been running on only renewable energy for 75 days of 2015, after heavy rains souped-up its hydropower schemes. Running a country on renewables for a stint (even a long one) isn’t the same as having a steady system that fulfills all a country’s needs, but it’s still impressive.
Other countries with great hydropower capacity include Albania, Afghanistan and Lesotho. A test for many of them in the future will be finding ways to develop their economies without a sudden ramp up in fossil fuel use.
Denmark (sometimes)
A leader in wind power, Denmark produces enough power from its turbines for 40% of its (small) population—unusual for a developed country with high energy needs. But Denmark also exemplifies the “intermittent” nature of renewables which can make them tricky to incorporate into grids built for steady, reliable energy streams. On some windy days this year, Denmark produced as much as 140% of its own needs. The excess is exported, when possible, but better storage would make the excess even more valuable.
Lower Austria
Austria’s largest state announced this year that it had achieved a goal of 100% renewable power by harnessing the power of the Danube, and supplementing that hydropower with solar and biomass. It now runs carbon free. The rest of the country also does well in comparison to many of its European neighbors.
Norway and Iceland
Natural resources helped both these countries achieve close to 100% renewable power, years ago: Iceland mainly through geothermal heat, and Norway through hydropower.
A bunch of islands
Island nations are some of the most vulnerable to climate change, but their geography makes renewable energy an obvious choice. Surrounding waters can be used for ocean energy or offshore wind, while the alternatives aren’t great: on-site power plants, imported fuel, and expensive undersea cables.
In 2012, Tokelau, a set of three tiny islands between New Zealand and Hawaii, replaced its diesel energy system with one based on solar. The Orkney islands off Scotland, a hub for research on marine energy where many locals also have a wind turbine in their garden, currently produces more that 100% of its energy needs.
Germany
Though nowhere near 100% renewable, Germany deserves a mention. On its best day in 2015, Germany produced 78% of its total electricity needs from renewables, thanks to a massive program of building and investment undertaken as part of the country’s “Energiewende”, or energy transformation, aimed at moving the nation away from both fossil fuels and nuclear.
In the first half of 2014, Germany produced an average of 31% of its energy from renewables. For a developed country with a population of 80 million, that’s huge. It also produced more renewable energy overall than any other European country.
With a deal reached at the climate conference in Paris this month that should pave the way for far more investment in renewable energy—especially from rich countries helping poor ones “leapfrog” the fossil era—2015 may well have been the best year ever for renewable energy. It’s a trend that looks set to continue.
18 Comments on "Where in the world have we have achieved 100% renewable power?"
ghung on Fri, 18th Dec 2015 8:06 am
“Although Kodiak Island, the second-largest island in the U.S., relied on hydropower for 80 percent of the electricity production, it was also burning 2.8 million gallons of diesel per year, at an annual cost of $7 million. In the face of climate change and high electricity costs, the board and managers at Kodiak Electric Association (KEA) set a goal of producing 95 percent of the community’s electrical needs with renewable energy by 2020. They actually arrived there well ahead of time, and are now 99.7 percent renewably powered by wind and hydro.”
http://ecowatch.com/2015/05/20/kodiak-island-renewable-energy/
paulo1 on Fri, 18th Dec 2015 9:01 am
Missed BC, Canada…population around 4.7 million. We have a few small gas fired generating plants to switch on at peak demand as required, but this is rarely done. Rarely. Site C Peace River under construction.
Some wind sources are now online, but fall far short of potential. There are also some newer run-of-the-river projects on the coast, which are quite high-cost producers.
The most necessary achievement will be conservation. People use energy here like drunks at a Chinese smorg.
Our rate is just under $.08 (Canadian) for the first 1350 kWh per day on a two month average. Tier two then goes up to $.1195 kWh for any use above 1350. For example, and we watch what we use, our monthly bill including service and billing charges averages about $85/month over the year. I run a welder quite often, use lots of power tools, and run some heat lamps at chick season. We have an electric range. We use a wood fired pre-heat water system that feeds a regular HW tank with pre-heated water. We heat with wood and use very little propane (barbecue grill). We have no NG service. Our biggest expense will be hot water for showers. We use cold for washing clothes and a clothesline about 7 months of the year.
Many BC citizens talk about their low electricty bills and then run a NG stove, HW system, or an NG fireplace so it can be misleading.
When the power goes out in storms we switch to 12 volt and hunker down. It is quite pleasant. However, if this were to happen during chick season I would have to run a generator or risk losing them.
rockman on Fri, 18th Dec 2015 9:02 am
You have to watch their wording closely: switch back and forth between “energy” and “electricty”. I’m pretty sure those countries or regions (like lower Austria) running on “100% renewables” don’t have 100% on their vehicle fleet running on electric power.
But every little bit helps. Unfortunately when all those little bits are added together they still represent a very minor part of GLOBAL energy consumption.
paulo1 on Fri, 18th Dec 2015 9:03 am
I forgot to add, our electricty source is hydro. However, many dams need upgrading.
PracticalMaina on Fri, 18th Dec 2015 9:13 am
A system like this makes so much sense in many areas around the world. Renewables that store themselves, with thermal mass.
http://www.dlsc.ca/
I feel these are the types of things that would facilitate bringing like minded individuals together, and provide the social and economic incentive for massive change in a community.
Apneaman on Fri, 18th Dec 2015 9:23 am
paulo1, were just so god dammed green here in BC.
Coal or Climate? Vancouver Approves Giant Coal Export Facility on Eve of New Climate Deal
http://www.desmog.ca/2015/12/15/coal-or-climate-vancouver-approves-giant-coal-export-facility-eve-new-climate-deal
Kenz300 on Fri, 18th Dec 2015 10:20 am
This Is The Beginning Of The End Of The Fossil Fuel Industry
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/end-of-fossil-fuels_564f7457e4b0258edb316faf
—————–
Fossil fuel companies are spending millions to spread doubt about Climate Change……
4 Ways Exxon Stopped Action on Climate Change
http://ecowatch.com/2015/11/27/exxon-stopped-
climate-action/?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=1d016dacb9-Top_News_11_28_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-1d016dacb9-86023917
Has Exxon Mobil misled the public about its climate change research?
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/exxon-mobil-mislead-public-climate-change-research/
paulo1 on Fri, 18th Dec 2015 11:41 am
Apnea
Unbelieveable, isn’t it? However, I think the market and economy will ultimately decide if it is exported. My sister, who lives just below Bellingham,was freaking out about their plans for coal export increases. There are coal trains, but now increased amounts.
regardless, our hydro supplies and potential is the crown jewels of opportunity as this moves forward.
It is funny about Christi’s LNG proposals (debacle). ‘Proseprity Fund’…..yeah rightttt. All we need is a new sugar Daddy and everything will be fine.
tahoe1780 on Fri, 18th Dec 2015 12:21 pm
Rock, good points. Also, the “fuel” may be renewable, but is the infrastructure to capture and use it? Is any of that being built out using all that renewable energy or is diesel still the main construction/maintenance fuel?
makati1 on Fri, 18th Dec 2015 5:55 pm
“Where in the world have we have achieved 100% renewable power?”
Answer: ZERO places. Electric is a small percentage of the total ‘power’ used in any location. Oil makes it all possible and is still the power that moves heavy machines and vehicles that makes everything else possible. Eyewash headline and article. Nothing more.
Example: Are their highways paved in renewables? I bet not one piece of machinery that is used to build and maintain those roads is electric powered. Not one. Not even the road engineer’s car.
twocats on Fri, 18th Dec 2015 6:28 pm
Yeah these would be a hard problems to solve, but problems are really really REALLY REALLY hard when you are NOT trying to solve them.
http://climatenewsnetwork.net/euphoria-as-paris-finally-seals-the-deal/
With the COP21 provisions really not taking effect until 2020 (can you imagine 5 more years of this bullshit?), peak oil coming down like a ton of bricks, infrastructure crumbling, electrical grid nowhere-near ready to take over from liquid transport fuels, I mean, the game is over, thank you for playing, its been real.
GregT on Fri, 18th Dec 2015 8:06 pm
“Yeah these would be a hard problems to solve, but problems are really really REALLY REALLY hard when you are NOT trying to solve them.”
Problems are even harder to solve when they’re predicaments.
peakyeast on Fri, 18th Dec 2015 9:48 pm
Concerning the transportation energy vs the rest in Denmark…
http://www.ens.dk/sites/ens.dk/files/info/tal-kort/statistik-noegletal/aarlig-energistatistik/energistatistik_2014.pdf
Page 21.
Renewable energy about 30% of total mix
Oil about 40%
Coal about 15%
NG about 15%
And yes, I know, that Denmark is a small insignificant country.
peakyeast on Fri, 18th Dec 2015 11:15 pm
Ooops forgot: Transportation – about 25-30% of all energy.
🙂
dave thompson on Sat, 19th Dec 2015 9:11 am
All “renewables” are nothing more then expensive FF-hydrocarbon temporary energy extenders and consumers.
theedrich on Sat, 19th Dec 2015 5:11 pm
I have to agree with Mak. Renewable electrical power is sporadically possible, available in certain regions and conditions only. Never mind the oil-based, infrastructural support necessary to install the dams, equipment, etc., and keep it all functioning. At the end of December 2015 the global economy is tanking because Ponzi schemes everywhere are failing. When oilmen can no longer earn enough to drill or refine because of low prices and insufficient demand, what will happen to that supporting infrastructure? And once it is weakened, can it instantly snap back into operation? Methinks no.
JuanP on Sun, 20th Dec 2015 6:50 pm
Costa Rica renewable energy, https://www.rt.com/business/326605-costa-rica-renewable-electricity/
Apneaman on Sun, 20th Dec 2015 10:52 pm
Take a look at this wind industry promo video and see if you can spot the embedded fossil fuel use. This is just the construction/erection phase.
MidAmerican Energy Company – From the Ground Up: Building our energy future, one turbine at a time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84BeVq2Jm88&app=desktop