EU introduces comprehensive new rules for energy statistics

    On January 28, the European Commission adopted the most comprehensive amendments to Generator Solar System energy statistics regulations ever to further support the European Green Deal. The amendments, which will come into force in February this year, will provide statistics to monitor a number of policy initiatives to decarbonise the European economy, including the Energy Union, the Fit for 55 programme, and the Hydrogen Strategy and Battery Initiative. The new statistics will be available for the first time in 2022. EU Economic Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni said the revision was a milestone on the road to the EU's transition to a climate-neutral economy.

    After the revision, Eurostat will publish new and more detailed data, mainly including:

    One is data on new energy carriers, such as hydrogen, which will play a key role in hard-to-decarbonize industries such as maritime and air transport. The new statistics will differentiate between green hydrogen (produced from renewable energy) and hydrogen produced from oil or natural gas, and will include data monitoring how hydrogen is used in the economy.

    The second is to decentralize electricity production data to monitor small producers, such as households and companies that install their own solar photovoltaic panels on their roofs, or agricultural/forestry companies that use biomass and biogas to produce their own electricity. This data becomes increasingly important as the European Union Renewable Energy Directive (EU) 2018/2001 encourages consumers to play an active role in the energy market by becoming small producers themselves.

    The third is data related to large batteries, which are crucial for storing electricity and stabilizing future smart grids and will support the EU battery initiative.

    Fourth, other renewable fuel-related data. Such as detailed characterization of heat pumps and closer monitoring of solar photovoltaic (PV) production, identification of rooftop PV systems, classification of production according to the size of PV system installations and collection of data on off-grid PV systems to help monitor renewable energy mandates (EU) 2018/2001 and the Buildings Energy Performance Directive (EU) 2018/844.

    The fifth is the non-energy use of renewable energy, such as replacing carbon-intensive materials with new and sustainable bio-based products, including biochemicals, biolubricants for the automotive industry, or bioasphalt for roads.

    Six is ​​final energy consumption breakdown information and specific data on grid losses during transmission and distribution of gas and electricity in support of the Energy Efficiency Directive (EU) 2018/2002.

    The revised regulation will be published in the Official Journal of the European Commission on January 31 and will become applicable 20 days after publication.