Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 6.7
Average Energy Prices in Germany for 2001
€
€
Energy carrier and consumer
/MWh Energy carrier and consumer
/MWh
groups
groups
Imported hard coal (free frontier)
6.5
Natural gas (public utility)
17.3
German hard coal ex colliery
c
18.3
Natural gas (industry)
21.2
Crude oil (free frontier)
17.3
Electricity (industry)
a
63.9
Domestic fuel oil (inland, industry)
28.9
Electricity (private household)
b
143.0
Note:
a without electricity tax and VAT; b all duties included; c costs for 1998
Source:
Quaschning, 2003
during summer, when they only heat up tap water. The heat generation costs
of electric water heating systems are above the electricity price that is about
€
0.14/kWh
el
for end users.
Not all electricity or heat generation costs of systems using renewable
energy sources can be compared with conventional systems. Systems for solar
domestic water heating usually need a fossil backup, in other words, the
investment costs for the conventional system must be paid anyway. This means
that the solar energy system can save only costs for the fuel of the conventional
system and in some cases reduce maintenance costs and increase lifetime of the
conventional system. Table 6.7 shows fuel costs in Germany; however, these
costs will vary from country to country.
The electricity and heat generation costs given assume stable costs for fossil
fuels; however, that will certainly not be the case for the long operating periods
in the power plant sector. Figure 6.4 shows the changes in crude oil prices over
the past three decades. If they are adjusted for inflation and exchange rate, the
maximum of the past 30 years is 5.5 times higher than the minimum.
Prices for conventional energy carriers will increase in the long term due to
the limited availability of fossil energy resources. High oil prices as already
seen in the 1980s could occur again within the near future. Then, today's
relatively expensive renewable energy systems will suddenly be more
competitive.
E
XTERNAL
C
OSTS
Electricity and heat generation costs of conventional energy systems such as
fossil or nuclear power plants are also calculated with the formulae described
above. Besides the investment costs for the power plant, fuel costs and
operation and maintenance costs, there are further external costs that may be
only partly covered or not covered at all by the plant operators.
Besides government subsidies and government-financed research,
development and disposal, external costs mainly comprise costs for damage to
the environment and public health caused by the power plant. The electricity
or heat price usually does not contain these external costs. This distorts the
