Sleeping giant must be utilised, expert says

 Abu Dhabi:  Renewable energy has been likened to a sleeping giant because its use has been restricted largely to the electricity sector only, an expert has said.

Christine Lins, secretary-general of the European Renewable Energy Council, told a plenary session of the World Renewable Energy Conference in Abu Dhabi on Sunday that the electricity sector consumes about 20 per cent of all energy produced.

The remaining 80 per cent was shared between heating and cooling (49 per cent) and transportation (31 per cent). Lins said these two had practically ignored the potential of clean energy.

"We call it [renewable energy] the sleeping giant because in terms of energy demand, [the] electricity sector demands just 20 per cent of the total energy produced," she said, highlighting the need to use renewable energy in the other two sectors.

In Europe the contribution of the wind sector constitutes the highest amongst the different sources of renewable energy, she said.

Speaking about the renewable energy policy framework in Europe, Lins said properly laid out legislation provided the stability to increase investments in the renewable energy sector.

"[The] EU is likely to over-achieve the 20 per cent target set by the governments," she said.

Another expert said Europe needs 5 billion euros (Dh24.7 billion) per annum to implement the initiatives related to renewable energy by 2010.

Bruno Schmitz of the European Commission said the energy and climate package of the European Commission had "three 20s" — three objectives to be achieved by 2020.

Schmitz said the first objective is a 20 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels.

The second objective is 20 per cent reduction in global primary energy use through the improvement of energy efficiency.

The third objective is the introduction of 20 per cent of renewable energy in the European Union's overall energy mix. A minimum target for bio-fuels — of ten per cent of vehicular fuels — has been set, he said.