What are the Renewable Energies in France in 2022?

Renewable energy comes from sources that nature continuously replenishes, unlike non-renewable energy, whose stocks deplete. There are five major types of renewable energy commonly used:

• • Wind Energy: Energy from the wind. Wind turbines, located on land and sea, aim to produce electricity using wind power.
  • Solar Energy: Energy from the sun. Three forms of energy can be generated from the sun: thermal and thermodynamic energy (from heat) and photovoltaic energy (from sunlight, particularly through solar panels).
  • Biomass: The conversion of organic and plant matter (such as animal waste) into energy sources. This can take the form of heat, electricity, and heating production.
  • Hydraulic Energy: Energy produced by the force of moving water, used for electricity generation.
  • Geothermal Energy: Energy created by the earth’s heat and the very hot water found in underground aquifers, used for heat production.

In France, renewable energies are primarily used for heat production (42%), followed by transport (30%), and finally electricity production (28%).

The consumption of renewable energy continues to grow in France. Between 1990 and 2000, renewable energy consumption increased by 84%. In 2020, it accounted for more than 19.1% of energy consumption. According to the Energy Transition for Green Growth Act, the goal is for the share of renewable energy to reach 33% by 2030.

In France, the primary source of renewable energy in the energy mix is wood energy production, representing 114 billion TWh or 35.8% of all renewable energy. This wood energy production is mainly used for heating and involves producing energy from wood, such as by burning it.

Wood energy falls under biomass, the use of living matter to produce energy, and is the oldest form of energy used by humans. Wood energy production serves to generate electricity for heating. There are two main types of heating that use renewable energy:
Heat Pump: This device recovers natural heat from the air, earth, or water, which is then transformed into heat for the home.
Wood Pellet Boiler: Efficient for heating a house and providing hot water economically.

Hydroelectric power generation is also significant in France, being the second largest source of renewable energy with 58 billion TWh, representing 18% of the total energy consumption in France.

Renewable energy helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and offers sustainable and durable energy production possibilities. It is better for the planet and health, providing cleaner air compared to fossil fuels. Seven million people die each year due to pollution from fossil fuels (according to the World Health Organization). Choosing renewable energy is preferable as it plays an important role in energy efficiency and energy independence. There are also community renewable energy projects, which are environmental projects created for and by everyone.

Finally, there are carbon offsetting measures, which will remove carbon from nature, or allow others to produce less. This carbon is subtracted when calculating your carbon footprint. These measures include reforestation, the installation of solar panels for use outside the company, or support for other environmental projects.

Renewable energies have several advantages: Ensures climate, economic, ecological, and social stability, low risk of accidents during production, making renewable energy very safe, minimal waste production, and the waste produced is recyclable, and a significant reductions in CO2 emissions, with resources being infinite thanks to wind, water, and sun.

However, renewable energies have also some drawbacks: Energy availability depends on climate conditions, sunlight, wind, etc. Some constructions can negatively impact ecosystems and pollute fauna, such as wind turbines being dangerous for birds.

Renewable energy has numerous advantages and is the only sustainable and ecological energy for the future. Although energy availability can be a concern, it is possible to produce 100% of electricity with renewable energy. This was demonstrated on April 30, 2022, in California: for 15 minutes, the state produced 100% of its electricity from renewable sources, with over 65% from solar energy and the rest from wind energy. After 15 minutes, renewable energy still accounted for 97% of the total energy used.