Comprehensive Evaluation of European Renewable Power Programs

Abstract

Europe has shown a commitment to goal setting that mitigates climate change and increases renewable energy generation since the early 2000s. Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom have experienced challenges throughout the process toward a renewable energy future. The level that market structure, policy impacts, country economics, technology status, and social impacts contribute to successful renewable energy integration with the traditional power market structure for Germany, Spain, and the UK will provide an evaluation framework for other countries looking to incorporate greater levels of renewable energy in the grid. Primary lessons learned from the electricity systems in these three countries show that flawed policy design creates market uncertainty and instability, subsidies may create more generation at increased costs, grid flexibility is necessary to integrate higher capacities of renewable energy resources, business models in the electricity sector should be transformed by changing trends to account for reduced conventional energy and focus on innovation, and market mechanism design needs to capture wholesale energy prices to meet capacity.