Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Supporting frameworks should be adapted to the characteristics of each tech-
nology. Providing incentives for mature, stable technologies is not the same as
providing them for energies which may be more expensive but which have great
potential for cost reduction.
As regards the allocation of cost overruns incurred in renewable development,
although it is ef
cient to concentrate more renewable development in the elec-
tricity sector because it is the most cost-effective, it does not make sense to expect
electricity consumers to bear the full cost. Therefore, the cost of renewables
should be allocated to consumers of all
nal types of energy (heating, electricity,
gas and oil), as it is they who generate the need for development.
The timeline for roll-out should be adjusted in order to minimise the cost of
compliance with the Renewable Energies Plan. It is important to adapt the
development of renewables to meeting targets in 2020 and not before, so that it
is possible to develop a spin-off industrial sector that is sustainable over time.
As well as the foregoing, if renewables are to penetrate the electricity sector
ef
exible
conventional technologies (particularly hydro power plants and natural gas com-
bined cycles). It is also essential to boost the levels of interconnection in Europe
from the current situation. A penetration rate of some 40 % by renewables in 2020
might in some cases mean very high coverage for electricity demand: higher than is
currently the case. Obviously this would generate signicant risk because the
demand could not be guaranteed with non-
ciently it is vital to acknowledge the support/back-up provided by
rm,
rm energies such as those referred to as
“
renewables (wind and solar power). There is also the issue that there
needs to be suf
intermittent
”
cient capacity to deal with
uctuations in demand and
uctuations
as a result of those technologies that cannot be controlled.
5 Regulations to Promote Energy Ef
ciency
5.1 A General Approach to the Regulation of Energy
Ef
ciency in the EU
The European Union is among the economic areas that have spearheaded
improvements in energy ef
ciency. This is due to the following factors: on the
one hand the major structural changes in the economy of this group of countries
(in general terms, the economy has been outsourced, and the most energy-intensive
industries have been relocated to other economic areas), and on the other the
implementation of various different policies and regulatory instruments designed to
improve energy ef
ciency (Figs.
11
,
12
).
20
20
Re
exiones sobre los
esquemas de obligaciones de ahorro energ
é
tico (certi
cados blancos) en Europa
”
.
Economics for
Energy
.
This section is based on Mu
ñ
oz Rodr
í
guez et al. [
22
] WP 12/2013.
“
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