Australia
Renewable Energy in Austria
What is Renewable Energy?
The term renewable energy applies to energy produced from sustainable sources, which is considered inexhaustible by generally accepted standards. These regenerative sources may take the form of wind and water energy, tides, sunlight, solar heat and geothermal power. A decisive factor is that the use of such sustainable energy sources produces neither carbon dioxide nor atomic waste. Renewable energy can be harvested from natural environmental processes and then used for technical purposes. In the physical sense, the energy is not renewed, but is instead constantly generated by the stated sources.
A distinction is made between the various types of renewable energy sources:
- Renewable energy for generating electricity:
e.g. hydropower and eco-power (small-scale hydropower, electricity from solid, liquid or gas biomass, landfill and sewage gas, geothermal energy, wind power and photovoltaics) - Heat from renewable energy sources:
such as district heating, biomass stations, solar energy, geothermal energy and environmental heat - Biofuel:
such as biodiesel, vegetable oil, liquefied gas, natural gas, hydrogen and methanol
The increasing use of regenerative energy sources and the application of environmentally-friendly technologies provides a significant contribution to sustainable development. In addition, they provide for enhanced well-being and better standards of living for future generations. Renewable energy sources are the way of the future – clean, environmentally friendly and inexhaustible.
Competence from Austria
Austria is a leading contributor to alternative energy production worldwide. Find out more by listening to an audio stream: Alternative Energy made in Austria
[mp3, 940.8kb]
The number of renewable energy providers in Austria is traditionally very high in comparison with other European cities. Since the beginning of the 1980s, the proportion of renewable energy providers as part of the gross energy consumption has constantly stood at over 20%. Until now the most significant renewable energy source has been hydropower, with a share of over 11%. The remaining share of around 11% is accounted for by the use of biological fuel (mainly biomass).
Revenues from all renewable energy sources – excluding medium and large scale hydropower – were estimated at around EUR 1,461 million in 2004 and EUR 1,880 million in 2005. In 2004 around 13,560 jobs were tied to renewable energy, whilst in 2005 the workforce was estimated at 17,600.
Particularly impressive is the high number of SMEs in Austria in the field of biomass and bioenergy. This field is the second leading area in renewable energy in Austria after hydropower. Additionally there are many clusters and associations which are intensively involved with renewable energy from biomass and bio fuels, such as the Austrian Bioenergy Center and the Austrian Biomass Association.
Some of the biggest clusters and associations of companies are:
- Austrian Bioenergy Center (German only)
- Austrian Biomass Association
- RENET - Renewable Energy Network Austria
- Upper Austrian Eco-Energy Cluster
- AEE Arbeitsgemeinschaft Erneuerbare Energie - consortium for renewable energy sources
- Association of Wind energy
- Austrian Eco-Fuel Institute
There are numerous institutes and companies in Austria in the field of research and development for renewable energy. Especially well-known are the Austrian Energy Agencyin Vienna, the inter-university Institute for interdisciplinary research and development in Klagenfurt, the Joanneum Research GmbH(particularly the Institute for Energy Research). Other institutes at Austrian universities are also renowned - especially the Technical University in Graz with its Institute for Thermal Engineering and the Institute for Process Engineering, and the Technical University in Vienna with its Institute for Process Engineering, Fuel Engineering and Environment Engineering.
Renewable energy sources have already received widespread recognition and significance in Austria. Many regional research centres and companies with a focus on renewable energies are already well-established. Special networks and clusters cater for the exchange of knowledge and resources. The numerous production developments in Austria make it clear that increasing numbers of companies will dedicate themselves to renewable energy and that the market will experience rapid growth.
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