STRATEGIES FOR IMPLEMENTING RENEWABLE ENERGY - LESSONS FROM EUROPE

Renewable energy is no longer an 'insurance' against failure of oil supplies to Europe, but a definite aspect of commercial energy supply. This can be said with certainty, not because of the amount of new renewables, but because of the growth of a wide range of the renewable technologies. The last 15 years have seen not only growing experience with equipment and installations, but also increased appreciation of the institutional factors involved in the implementation of renewables. Across Europe, in particular, there has been considerable experience, much of it different between different countries. This paper draws out some common lessons from these experiences, from which to formulate a coherent strategy for the implementation of renewables in the future.