NOS/Jeroen van Eijndhoven
ANNOUNCEMENTS••Edited
The Netherlands generated nearly 15 percent more sustainable energy this year than in 2021, according to data from Energieopwek.nl, an organization that monitors green energy production.
The additional energy generated is equivalent to the total energy consumption of the provinces of Groningen, Friesland, Drenthe and Overijssel combined. The generation of sustainable energy has made it possible to save around 1.6 billion cubic meters of gas this year.
More hours of sunshine
Notably, more solar energy was generated, more than 40% more than the previous year. This is partly due to the high number of hours of sunshine from this year. Since the measurements began, this was the highest number of hours of sunshine ever. According to the KNMI, the old record from 1976 has been broken.
To date, nearly 2 million homes have solar panels, up from 1.5 million last year. One-third of owner-occupied homes generate solar energy and one-sixth of social rental homes.
Climate agreement
The amount of wind energy obtained has also increased slightly this year: by 17%. There are now more wind turbines and there was a little more wind than in 2021.
Meanwhile, 41 percent of all electricity used in the Netherlands is generated sustainably. An agreement from the climate deal stipulates that in 2030, 70% of all electricity will come from renewable sources. This means that the energy comes from natural sources which are constantly being replenished, such as wind, hydroelectricity and of course the sun.
