How much of the energy we consume is renewable?
Fifteen percent of energy used in the Netherlands in 2022 came from sustainable or renewable sources. This was up from 13 percent in 2021. Use of solar and wind power in particular was higher in this period. Energy generated from biomass, by contrast, decreased.
Renewable energynoot1 is generated from replenishable natural resources: wind, water, sun and biomass, for example. Energy produced from these sustainable sources does not harm the environment in the long term. Natural gas, oil, coal, and nuclear energy are not classified as renewable energy, as they use up resources that cannot be replenished.
Dutch renewable energy consumption amounted to 277 PJ (petajoules) in 2022, 6 percent more than in the previous year. One petajoule is the equivalent of the total energy use of around 23 thousand homes in 2022.
| Jaartal | Biomass | Wind energy | Solar energy | Heat pumps | Other | Statistical transfers¹⁾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022* | 5.96 | 4.20 | 3.34 | 1.11 | 0.39 | 0.00 |
| 2021** | 6.32 | 3.42 | 2.12 | 0.81 | 0.33 | 0.00 |
| 2020 | 6.20 | 2.58 | 1.68 | 0.67 | 0.34 | 2.53 |
| 2019 | 5.22 | 1.87 | 0.99 | 0.53 | 0.28 | . |
| 2018 | 4.37 | 1.71 | 0.69 | 0.43 | 0.19 | . |
| 2017 | 3.90 | 1.65 | 0.43 | 0.36 | 0.16 | . |
| 2016 | 3.61 | 1.44 | 0.33 | 0.31 | 0.15 | . |
| 2015 | 3.85 | 1.22 | 0.25 | 0.28 | 0.13 | . |
| * Provisional figures | ||||||
| ** Revised provisional figures | ||||||
| ¹⁾ Imported renewable energy | ||||||
Number of new solar panels up again
Forty-six percent more solar power was used in 2022 than in 2021. Not only did the number of newly installed solar panels rise further, but 2022 was also a very sunny year. The Royal Netherlands Metrological Institute (KNMI) measured the highest number of sunshine hours since records began in 1901.
At the end of 2022, the total capacity of installed solar panels in the Netherlands was more than 19 thousand MW (megawatts), 28 percent more than twelve months previously. This is more than the total capacity of all power stations combined (17 thousand MW). In spite of this, power stations produced over three times more electricity than solar panels, as the sun does not always shine.
Substantial increase in wind energy
In addition to the increase in solar power, use of wind energy also increased, by 13 percent compared with one year earlier. A total 78 PJ of wind energy was used. This is nearly the same amount as the combined electricity consumption of all homes in the Netherlands in 2022.
At the end of 2022, the total capacity of wind turbines was nearly 9 thousand MW, 14 percent up on twelve months earlier. The increase was mainly the result of new onshore wind capacity; new offshore turbines accounted for only 10 percent of the capacity increase.
| Provincie | Solar energy | Onshore wind energy |
|---|---|---|
| Noord-Brabant | 3323 | 312 |
| Gelderland | 2460 | 235 |
| Zuid-Holland | 2084 | 784 |
| Noord-Holland | 1825 | 755 |
| Overijssel | 1624 | 74 |
| Limburg | 1485 | 119 |
| Groningen | 1344 | 843 |
| Drenthe | 1337 | 247 |
| Fryslân | 1026 | 619 |
| Utrecht | 1009 | 34 |
| Flevoland | 878 | 1667 |
| Zeeland | 728 | 573 |
| *Provisional figures | ||
Use of biomass declining
Biomassnoot2 is organic material such as wood and wood chips, manure, food and garden waste, and crop residues. This material is combusted or fermented to generate energy. Biomass usenoot3 fell by 13 percent in 2022, partly because one quarter less biomass was cofired in power plants.
Sources
StatLine – Renewable energy; consumption by energy source, technology and application
StatLine – Renewable electricity; production and capacity
Relevant links
News release – Natural gas consumption in 2022 at lowest level in 50 years
News release – Renewable electricity share up by 20 percent in 2022
The questions
- What keeps people from eating healthier?
- What is working people’s income?
- How much of the energy we consume is renewable?
- What percentage wears glasses?
- How are the dragonflies and butterflies doing?
- How many housing units are there?
- How does home burglary affect people?
- In what occupations do most people work from home?
- How much more expensive did food get?
- How many babies were born to unmarried mothers?
- From which countries do most immigrants come?
- How many centenarians are there?
- How do fathers and mothers divide work and care?
- How many cars are there?
- How much milk does a cow produce?
- What portion of income went to food in 1936?
- How many pigs were there in 1910?
- How many cattle and pigs in the Netherlands?
- What do we import from China?
- What type of shop is seen less and less?
- How many nights are spent in Dutch hotels?
- How often do older people have contact with neighbours?
- How many adults comply with the physical activity guidelines?
- Where do international students in the Netherlands come from?
- What are the major religions?
- How many litres of water do we use per day?
- How many millionaires in the Netherlands?
- How many inhabitants in the Netherlands??
- Where can we ride our bikes?
- At what age do workers retire?
- Which day has the most birthdays?
- How many people have a student debt?
- How does CBS handle your privacy?
Noten
Renewable energy
Energy from renewable non-fossil sources – wind, sun, heat from ground, air, and surface water, hydropower and ocean energy, biomass, landfill gas, sewage gas and biogases.
Biomass
Matter from recently living plants or animals used to generate energy. For example, wood, manure and food-processing waste.
Use of biomass
Sustainability criteria for solid biomass apply to power plants with a thermal input capacity of more than 20 MW. For biogas, criteria apply to installations with over 2 MW capacity. The new guideline came into effect on 1 July 2021. Biomass used in lower-capacity power plants is included in its entirety.
Different sustainability criteria are applicable for liquid biomass. Automotive biofuels (biodiesel and bio-petrol) have their own sustainability criteria. No criteria apply for waste incineration plants.