Significant Rise of Energy Productivity in 2011 and Weather-Related Decline of German Energy Consumption
Published on March 6, 2012
Following a press release in December 2011, Arbeitsgemeinschaft Energiebilanzen (AGEB), a working group founded by energy related associations and research centers, published comprehensive preliminary information on German energy consumption and energy productivity in 2011. While the decline of the primary energy consumption of 5.3% is mainly attributable to the mild winter, energy productivity increased remarkably (8.8%), obviously reflecting high energy prices, AGEB says.
Without the weather effects, energy consumption would only have declined by 1%, according to AGEB. The working group also points out that Germany’s decision after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster to pull out of nuclear energy earlier than previously envisaged and to reach an 80% renewable energy supply by 2050 lead to a statistical effect caused by the immediate shutdown of eight nuclear power plants and the increased consumption of renewable energy. Adjusted for this effect, the decline of primary energy consumption would only have amounted to 3.8% instead of 5.3%. Together with the weather adjusted data, this means that the primary energy consumption more or less remained on the same level, AGEB says. The data has to be seen against the background of a 3% economic growth.
And I'm absolutely sure that their performance overall bears absolutely no resemblance to the "carbon emissions will skyrocket" horror stories that you and the other nuclear proponents were shouting out so loudly.
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