broschuere ee zahlen en bf

aVOIDeD eMIssIONs
26 Renewable Energy Sources in Figures
Emissions avoided in the electricity sector in 2010 by using renewables
Renewable energy generation from water, wind, solar energy, biomass and geothermal energy
reduces the consumption of fossil fuels, which still largely form the basis for electricity
supplies in Germany today. Thus electricity generation from renewables makes a major contribution
to the reduction of energy-induced greenhouse gases and acidifying air pollutants
in Germany.
The net balance of electricity generation from renewables takes into account not only the
directly avoided emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants from fossil fuel power stations
in Germany, but also the emissions avoided in the supply chains for the primary fossil
fuels. Special mention must be made here of the high emissions of methane (CH 4 ) in the production
and transport of coal and natural gas. But the emissions of greenhouse gases and air
pollutants which occur during the production of renewable power generation plants and the
supply and use of biomass are also taken into account.
On balance, the specific greenhouse gas avoidance factors display slight differences. A particularly
high climate protection effect can be seen in electricity generation from hydropower,
solid biomass (wood) and solid or gaseous biogenic waste. In the case of electricity generation
from biogas, by contrast, the emissions resulting from the cultivation of energy crops make
themselves felt.
Greenhouse gas avoidance factors for renewables-based
electricity generation, 2010
Electricity
Avoidance factor
[g CO eq./kWh]
2
Hydropower 794
Wind energy 736
photovoltaic power 679
Biogenic solid fuels 778
Biogenic liquid fuels 602
Biogas 565
sewage gas 748
landfill gas 748
Biogenic fraction of waste 773
Geothermal energy 488
the avoidance factor is the quotient of
avoided emissions and electricity supply
from renewables. It corresponds to the
average avoidance of greenhouse gases and
air pollutants (for further information, see
annex).
sources: BMu on the basis of aGee-stat and
other sources; see following table.