Close Menu
Energy NewsEnergy News
  • NEWS
    • Breaking News
    • Hydrogen
    • Energy Storage
    • Grid
    • SMR
    • Projects
    • Production
    • Transport
    • Research
  • SPOTLIGHT
    • Interviews
    • Face 2 Face
    • Podcast
    • Webinars
    • Analysis
    • Columnists
    • Reviews
    • Events
  • REGIONAL
    • Africa
    • Americas
    • Asia
    • Europe
    • Middle east
    • Pacific
  • COMMUNITY
  • ABOUT
    • Advisory Board
    • Contact us
    • Report Your News
    • Advertize
    • Subscribe
LinkedIn X (Twitter) YouTube Facebook
Trending
  • South Korea’s Largest Hydrogen-Only Fuel Cell Plant Begins Operation in Ulsan
  • Ingeteam Commissions Castilla y León’s First Green Hydrogen Plant
  • Norway’s Karmsund Hydrogen Project to Begin Operations in 2028
  • ITM Power Bets on ‘Hydrogen-as-a-Service’ with New German Subsidiary Hydropulse
  • Greece Weighs Hydrogen Ambitions Against Power Costs and Lack of Subsidies
  • Teesside to Anchor £96M Pipeline Push as Ofgem Backs East Coast Hydrogen Network
  • RIC Energy Secures Site for 220MW Hydrogen-Based E-Fuels Project in Castilla y León
  • ITM Power Gets FEED Contract for Uniper’s Humber H2ub
LinkedIn X (Twitter) YouTube Facebook
Energy NewsEnergy News
  • NEWS
    • Breaking News
    • Hydrogen
    • Energy Storage
    • Grid
    • SMR
    • Projects
    • Production
    • Transport
    • Research
  • SPOTLIGHT
    • Interviews
    • Face 2 Face
    • Podcast
    • Webinars
    • Analysis
    • Columnists
    • Reviews
    • Events
  • REGIONAL
    • Africa
    • Americas
    • Asia
    • Europe
    • Middle east
    • Pacific
  • COMMUNITY
  • ABOUT
    • Advisory Board
    • Contact us
    • Report Your News
    • Advertize
    • Subscribe
Energy NewsEnergy News
Home Home - Analysis
Renewables

Weather-Dependent Renewables in Europe, Analyzing Costs and Efficiency

Anela DoksoBy Anela Dokso04/04/20253 Mins Read
Share
LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email WhatsApp Telegram

Europe’s energy generation landscape has significantly transformed, with a pronounced shift towards renewable sources. As of 2024, Germany, the UK, and France, collectively accounting for approximately half of Europe’s Weather-Dependent Renewables—primarily wind and solar—must navigate complex challenges and substantial financial commitments.

The surge in solar photovoltaic (PV) installations has been remarkable, growing to around 75% of new renewable installations in 2024. Despite this impressive growth, solar PV remains the least productive and least reliable of the renewable options, particularly in Northern Europe where productivity is often about 10% or less. This mismatch between installation capacity and actual productivity presents a stark challenge.

Germany, grappling with a reduced nuclear capacity and increased reliance on coal, has seen its renewables productivity linger at a modest 13.3%. The intermittent nature of solar and wind power—especially during the ‘dunkelflaute’ phenomena—leads to extended periods of low output, necessitating imports from countries like Norway. This dependence, combined with the recent curtailment of Norwegian exports due to increased domestic costs, complicates Germany’s energy independence.

The UK’s aggressive commitment to achieving Net Zero by 2050 has resulted in the installation of 48GW of Weather-Dependent Renewables, representing approximately 66% of installed capacity. However, the productivity of these sources remains around 18% in 2024, necessitating significant reliance on imported natural gas to fill the gaps. Despite its natural gas reserves, the UK’s political stance on fracking creates inefficiencies and higher costs.

France, on the other hand, demonstrates a lower CO2 footprint, largely due to its extensive nuclear power infrastructure, which contributes to over 75% of its electricity generation. Nonetheless, France is not immune to the allure of renewables, having significant installations of wind and solar power. Yet, these contribute only a fraction compared to nuclear, and the overall efficiency of France’s power generation has dropped to below 50%.

The cost of transitioning to renewables is starkly highlighted by data from the US Energy Information Administration. The bare cost estimate of the entire European Weather-Dependent Renewables fleet reaches around $2.6 trillion. Comparatively, using fracked gas could have been significantly less expensive—power prices in the US, where fracking is prevalent, stand at about 25% of those in Europe. The cost of eschewing nuclear and coal-fired power in favor of renewables suggests excess expenditures in the trillions, making a strong economic case for reconsidering more conventional energy sources.

Europe’s move towards Weather-Dependent Renewables, while aligned with long-term environmental goals, illustrates the financial and operational hurdles posed by these strategies. The renewables have led to a decreased efficiency of overall power generation, with systems operating at as low as 25% efficiency compared to the near 90% potential of conventional power sources. These insights prompt critical consideration of energy policies that prioritize reliability, cost-effectiveness, and environmental responsibility.

climate
Share. LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email

Related Posts

Hydrogen

South Korea’s Largest Hydrogen-Only Fuel Cell Plant Begins Operation in Ulsan

25/06/2025
Hydrogen

Ingeteam Commissions Castilla y León’s First Green Hydrogen Plant

25/06/2025
hydrogen

Norway’s Karmsund Hydrogen Project to Begin Operations in 2028

25/06/2025
hydrogen

ITM Power Bets on ‘Hydrogen-as-a-Service’ with New German Subsidiary Hydropulse

25/06/2025
hydrogen

Greece Weighs Hydrogen Ambitions Against Power Costs and Lack of Subsidies

25/06/2025
hydrogen

Teesside to Anchor £96M Pipeline Push as Ofgem Backs East Coast Hydrogen Network

24/06/2025
Hydrogen

South Korea’s Largest Hydrogen-Only Fuel Cell Plant Begins Operation in Ulsan

25/06/2025
Hydrogen

Ingeteam Commissions Castilla y León’s First Green Hydrogen Plant

25/06/2025
hydrogen

Norway’s Karmsund Hydrogen Project to Begin Operations in 2028

25/06/2025
hydrogen

ITM Power Bets on ‘Hydrogen-as-a-Service’ with New German Subsidiary Hydropulse

25/06/2025

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest news from the hydrogen market subscribe to our newsletter.

LinkedIn X (Twitter) Facebook YouTube

News

  • Inteviews
  • Webinars
  • Hydrogen
  • Spotlight
  • Regional

Company

  • Advertising
  • Media Kits
  • Contact Info
  • GDPR Policy

Subscriptions

  • Subscribe
  • Newsletters
  • Sponsored News

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest news from EnergyNewsBiz about hydrogen.

© 2025 EnergyNews.biz
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Accessibility

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.