Potential and Analysis of Grid Integrated Renewables in Latvia

In the last ten years a 10% increase in the energy consumption in Latvia has been observed; this means increasing import of electricity and energy resources, since the volumes of electricity produced in Latvia are insufficient for covering the electricity demand. The energy demand, being ever increasing, along with the limited fossil fuel reserves as well as environmental pollution and global climate changes, has aroused an active interest in renewable energy resources. In the world, a tendency is developing fast – that of the necessity to replace, step-by-step, the traditionally employed energy carriers by those of higher quality, with inclusion of renewable energy resources - biomass, hydro, wind and solar energy. This would undeniably lead to the cost reduction for the RES use technologies, which, in turn, would mean increase competitiveness and wider utilization. A part of electricity, about 70% of the total electricity consumption in Latvia, is generated by hydro plants and combined heat and power plants, an insignificant part is produced by small hydro power stations and wind generators, and the rest is imported from abroad.