The Hera Dossiers are back: the first web study of 2014 is dedicated to renewable energies, a key issue for the future and sustainable development of the entire planet. According to the latest estimates by the IEA, the International Energy Agency, in 2018 25% of world electricity production will come from "green" sources: hydroelectric, solar, wind and biomass. These are important numbers, which will be reached above all thanks to the contribution of emerging countries (China above all). The new Hera Group web dossier deals with this, online from today with video interviews, articles, infographics and photo galleries, to make even non-experts understand what "green energy" means and what the international and Italian scenario is.
Italy bronze medal in the EU. But the incentives weigh
The Dossier also explains how Italy and Emilia-Romagna are behaving in terms of renewables. The country is in third place for production from renewable sources, also thanks to the incentive system, which however has led to strong imbalances and requires a reorganisation. Furthermore, 80% of national demand is still covered by imported energy. The National Energy Strategy now aims to reduce this dependence on foreign countries to 67% by 2020 and much will also depend on policies supporting the development of new clean technologies in the long term.
Research in Italy and in the world: spotlights on hydrogen and photovoltaics
In addition to photovoltaics, which are the first most developed sources in Italy, another vector on which it is focusing is hydrogen: HEnergia, the open center for applied research on renewables, is dedicated to these two sources, and partly also to wind for a few months in Forlì. An investment that aims to support research in this key sector for the energy challenge of the years to come.
Smart grids and energy efficiency: obligatory steps for renewables
In 2013, $14,9 billion was invested in smart technologies worldwide. Green sources require more flexibility for distribution: this is why smart grids are the future of sustainability. Energy efficiency interventions are also fundamental for the development of green energies. Hera is already in the field on both fronts, engaging in the installation of smart meters and in the development of forward-looking projects on efficiency, from cogeneration and district heating to public lighting.
70% of Hera's electricity production is green
In 2013 alone, around 70% of Hera's total production (electricity 1 TWh, thermal 505 GWh) came from renewable or assimilated sources. And the objectives for 2016 speak of further increases. Thanks to the investments made over time, the Group's plants are increasingly capable of generating clean energy, starting with the anaerobic biodigesters for organic waste, up to waste-to-energy plants, purifiers and landfill biogas.
All Dossiers still available on the web
A summary of the Hera Dossier on renewable energies, as happened with those dedicated to water, smart cities, energy efficiency and waste, will be published in the main newspapers of the region and in their web editions.
