Before highlighting the actual problems and solution statement of the main theme of this blog, let us understand first about – the applications of gas for Europeans.
Obviously, by the very nature of natural GAS, the applications are wide range right beginning from generating electricity to heating water.
Source: Aljazeera
In the year 2021 alone around 34% of the energy was produced by burning gas and 14% from Renewable Energy sources, as per the above figure.
Energy prices hit record highs across Europe this week after Russia announced it would not resume gas supplies to Europe until sanctions were lifted.
Much of the continent is expected to face a severe winter in the coming months, threatening shortages and power outages. Europe relies heavily on gas for power generation, transport and heat. In 2021, one-third (34%) of Europe's energy came from burning gas. Belarus is Europe's most dependent country on natural gas, prSome Real-Time Updatesoducing 62% of its energy from gas, followed by Russia (54%), Italy (42%), the UK (40%) and Hungary. (39%) followed.
By 2021, two-thirds (76%) of Europe's energy will be generated by burning fossil fuels: gas (34%), oil (31%), and coal (11%). Renewable energies such as hydro, solar, wind and biofuels account for 14%, while nuclear accounts for the remaining 10%. Gas shortages in Russia have prompted countries to accelerate their search for alternatives. Germany has announced a temporary moratorium on phasing out two nuclear power plants to strengthen energy security.
Western sanctions against Russia tallies more than 9,119 new sanctions have been imposed on Russia since February 22, making it the most sanctioned country in the world. At least 46 countries or territories, including all 27 EU countries, have imposed sanctions on Russia or have pledged to adopt a combination of the US and EU sanctions. Moscow has denounced Western-imposed sanctions for hampering the scheduled maintenance of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, the largest single gas pipeline between Russia and Western Europe. EU officials accuse Russia of using energy as a weapon.
Source: Aljazeera
Those on the front lines of Europe's gas crisis face a 'perfect storm' that is pushing energy prices to record highs while struggling to get solar panels for homes and businesses.
In the first half of this year, Germany saw a 22% increase in solar panel installations compared to the same period last year, according to data provided to CNN Business by the German Solar Industry Association. This includes residential and commercial applications, from small private rooftop installations to large solar farms, the group said.
For companies in the renewable energy sector, this has led to a significant increase in turnover and an additional strain on the supply chain.
Demand for solar energy is already growing in Europe's largest economies as energy prices rise, political incentives are introduced and technology adoption becomes more mainstream. But these days, consumers are also facing new concerns about rising utility bills, scorching temperatures, and whether they will be able to survive this winter heat.
Russia has slashed its natural gas supplies to Europe since the West imposed tough sanctions on the Kremlin after its unilateral invasion of Ukraine on February 24. Declining gas supplies from Russia are a problem for her EU countries, which imported about 40% of their gas supplies from Russia.
Data from Nord Stream, the operator of the Russia-Germany pipeline (Nord Stream 1), confirms less gas heading west.
Solar power is helping Europe weather an "unprecedented proportion" of the energy crisis, saving billions of euros on averted gas imports, according to a new report.
According to his Ember of the energy think tank, record solar power in the European Union this summer helped a group of 27 countries save about $29 billion on fossil gas imports.
With the Russian invasion of Ukraine seriously threatening Europe's gas supplies and record high gas and electricity prices, this figure is likely to increase the share of solar power as part of the European energy mix.
A record 12.2% of the EU electricity mix was generated from solar PV between May and August this year, according to Ember's analysis of monthly electricity generation data.
This is higher than wind power (11.7%) and hydropower (11%), and well below coal power's 16.5%.
Europe is urgently seeking to end Russia's dependence on gas, and figures show that solar energy can help.
The record 99.4 terawatt hours the EU generated from solar power this summer meant that it did not have to buy 20 billion cubic meters of fossil gas.
Based on average daily gas prices from May to August, Ember calculates that gas costs averted are worth about $29 billion.
Europe is breaking solar power records every year with the construction of new solar plants.
This summer's record for solar power is 28% higher than the 77.7 TWh generated last summer when solar power accounted for 9.4% of the EU's energy mix.
The EU saved an additional nearly $6 billion in gas costs from last year to this year as a result of this increase in solar capacity.
Greece, Romania, Estonia, Portugal, and Belgium are among the 18 EU member states to set new records for the share of electricity generated from solar energy during peak summer hours. 18 countries.
Currently, ten EU countries generate at least 10% of their electricity from the sun. The Netherlands, Germany and Spain are the largest solar users in the EU, generating 22.7%, 19.3%, and 16.7% of their electricity from solar respectively.
Poland saw the biggest increase in solar power since 2018, a 26-fold increase, he notes Ember. Finland and Hungary have increased their solar power production by a factor of five, and Lithuania and the Netherlands, where he has quadrupled.
Conclusively, an Energy mix with a larger dependency on Renewable energy is where all countries are seeking their Energy Independence.
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