Greenhouse gas and energy

observatory
of the Rhône-Alpes region

Key figures - May 2013

Contents
The greenhouse effect and its consequences in the
Rhône-Alpes
pageregion 4
Regional key figures
Final energy consumption in 2010 page 6
Greenhouse gas emissions in 2010 page 8
Production of energy in 2011 page 9

Analysis of final energy consumption and greenhouse

gas emissions by sector
Residential page 10
Tertiary page 12
Industry page 14
Transport page 16
Agriculture page 18

Production of renewable energy in 2011 page 20

Production of electricity from renewable energy page 21
Production of heat from renewable energy page 23

Carbon sinks page 26

Glossary page 27

2
OREGES Rhône-Alpes
(Regional greenhouse gas and energy observatory of Rhône-Alpes)

OREGES Rhône-Alpes : an observation and information tool

Created in 2002, OREGES Rhône-Alpes was set up in response to the desire to make available, on a
regional basis, a relevant observation and information tool to members of the general public, local
authorities and players in the world of energy.
Its steering committee is co-chaired by the State and the Region, and is financed by the regional
Council of Rhône-Alpes and the ADEME (French environment and energy management agency). The
work is conducted by two technical organizations: Rhônalpénergie-Environnement (since 2002) and
Air Rhône-Alpes (since 2009).

OREGES Rhône-Alpes : a platform for exchanging

information about energy and greenhouse gases
OREGES Rhône-Alpes constitutes a network of various players:
• The State, represented by the DREAL (regional authority for the environment, planning and housing)
on the one hand, and the ADEME regional authority on the other.
• The Rhône-Alpes regional Council.
• Rhônalpénergie-Environnement (The regional environment and energy agency).
• Air Rhône-Alpes, an association approved for monitoring air quality.
• Public corporations and local authorities responsible for energy supply.
• Representatives of suppliers, carriers and distributors of energy (EDF, ErDF, GDF Suez, GrDF, GRTgaz,
RTE).
• The IERA (Info Energie Rhône-Alpes) network.
• Professional unions in the energy sector (UFE – French electricity union, UFIP – oil industry union).
• Regional environmental, social and economic council, CESER.
• CLCV , representing consumers.
• Regional Chamber of commerce and industry.
• Representatives of universities.

Those involved with the observatory meet every month to discuss current topics relating to OREGES:
«small wind turbine sector», «the place of gas in the Rhône-Alpes region», «the Aarhus conven-
tion»... These exchanges allow a shared vision of the situation concerning energy consumption, the
production and emissions of greenhouse gas in the Rhône-Alpes region to gradually be created. This
vision is built up from data shared by all players, within the scope of a data exchange agreement.

Local authorities have also recently got involved in this process.

3
The greenhouse effect

Some gases, naturally present in the atmosphere, act as a greenhouse by capturing solar radiation,
in this way increasing the earth’s temperature. Without these gases, the average temperature of the
earth would be - 18 °C!
This natural phenomenon, called the «greenhouse effect» is therefore conducive to life on earth.
However, its balance is fragile.
There is a broad consensus that climate change is due to intensification of the greenhouse effect
caused by human activity. Since the start of the industrial era (end of the 18th century), greenhouse
gas concentrations have continued to rise and have never been so high for several hundreds of thou-
sands of years.

30% sent towards

space

Radiation transmitted
towards space
20% absorbed
by the atmosphere

GREENHOUSE
EFFECT

50% towards
the earth’s surface

Natural Greenhouse effect

4
Climate consequences in the Rhône-Alpes region

These gases, mainly derived from fossil fuels (oil, gas, coal), reinforce the greenhouse effect and have
an impact on the climate. Not all greenhouse gases are from energy sources, they can be produced by
chemical processes (industry) and agricultural activities (fertilizer for crops, livestock breeding).

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that :

• It is at least 90% certain that global warming is due to human activity.
•The average temperature observed on the earth’s surface over the past century has risen
by 0.74°C.
•Greenhouse gas emissions have considerably increased worldwide since the pre-industrial period.
From 1970 - 2004 alone they increased by 70%.

According to the 2010 Météo-France study «Overview of the regionalization of results of the
Arpège-climat climate model on the 3 greenhouse gas emission scenarios proposed by the IPCC (A1B,
A2 and B1)», the main climate changes in the Rhône-Alpes region at the end of the 21st century will
be notably:
• Less harsh winters.
• Risk of fire doubled overall.
• According to scenarios, a modelled increase in the annual average temperature from 1°C - 2°C
by 2030, 1.5°C – 2.5°C by 2050 and 2°C - 5°C by 2080.
• A fairly uniform increase in the average temperature over the entire region.
• A significant increase in summer minimum temperatures.
• An increase in maximum temperatures.
• A sizeable decrease in the number of days of frost in spring.
• A dramatic rise in heatwaves in the second half of the century.
• A downward trend in terms of total annual precipitation.
• A significant increase in the number of consecutive days of dry weather.
• A reduction in snow cover in duration, spatial extent and thickness.
• A significant decrease in the amount of glaciers.

5
 Final energy consumption in 2010
16.4 million tonnes of oil equivalent (toe) were consumed in 2010 in the Rhône-Alpes region. Final
energy consumption, which continuously increased from 2000 – 2005, reached its «peak» in 2005.
In 2010, consumption continued to fall (-1% between 2009 and 2010, -6% between 2005 and
2010). Buildings were the main final energy consumers, the tertiary and residential sectors consuming
41% of final energy, all uses taken into account. Transport consumed the same amount as industry.
Petroleum products were by far the most consumed form of energy, fossil energy representing 68%
of the total.

Evolution of final energy consumption

20,000

18,000

16,000

14,000

12,000

10,000

8,000
Renewable heat energy
6 ,000 Electricity
(In kt of oil equivalent)

Gas
4,000
Petroleum products
2,000 Solid mineral fuel

0
1990 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Rate of evolution of final energy consumption

2009 - 2010 : -1% 2005 - 2010 : -6% 1990 - 2010 : +8%

The European objective of improving energy efficiency by 20% consists, in concrete terms,
of ensuring that primary energy consumption in 2020 is 20% lower than the consumption
corresponding to a «business-as-usual scenario». The work carried out as part of the Sché-
ma Régional Climat Air Energie (SRCAE – regional energy, air and climate plan) allowed the creation
of a business as usual scenario, which corresponds to a primary energy consumption in 2020 of 22.8
million tonnes of oil equivalent. To observe the European objective, it would therefore be necessary to
achieve a primary energy consumption of 18 million tonnes of oil equivalent in 2020 (against 21.7 in
2010, i.e. a 17% decrease by 2020).

6
Distribution of final energy consumption by sector
213
1%

4,809
29%
Residential
4,426
27% Tertiary
Waste management and industry
Transport
Agriculture, silviculture and aquaculture

2,190
14%

4,794
29% (In kt of oil equivalent)

Energy consumed

1,062 149
438 1%
6%
3%

Solid mineral fuel

Petroleum products
Gas
Electricity 6,490
Waste 40%
4,336
Renewable thermal energy 26%

3,957
24%
(In kt of oil equivalent)

7
 Greenhouse gas emissions in 2010
Greenhouse gas emissions since 1990 and European objectives
Greenhouse gas emissions in the Rhône-Alpes region in 2010 amounted to 44.8 million tonnes of
CO2 equivalent, down by 3.7% compared with 1990.

49 000
49,000

47 000
47,000

45, 000
45,000

43 000
43,000 In order to meet European objectives
(in kilotonnes of CO2 equivalent)

aimed at reducing greenhouse gas

41 000
41,000 emissions by 20% compared with
1990, greenhouse gas emissions must
reach no more than 37,000 tonnes of
39 000
39,000
CO2 equivalent in 2020, i.e. a reduc-
tion of 17.2 % compared with 2010.
37, 000
37,000
1990 2000 2010 2020

International comparisons of CO2 emissions from energy sources in tonnes of

CO2 per inhabitant in 2010

Greenhouse gas emissions from energy sources per inhabitant were slightly higher in the Rhône-Alpes
region compared with the French average. A Rhône-Alpes inhabitant emitted on average three times
less than a North American and 6 times more than an African. Because of the large amount of French
nuclear power stations, emissions in France and the Rhône-Alpes region are much lower than the
European average.

0.9 2.4 5.4 5.5 5.7 7.3 7.6 9.3 14 15.4

Rhône-Alpes region

Middle East
France

Europe

North America
Germany
China

Oceania
Latin America
Africa

8
 Production of energy in 2011
The production of energy was 115,380 GWh in the Rhône-Alpes region in 2011.
The production of renewable energy represented 24.5% of total energy production. The Rhône-Alpes
region is an area which produces a lot of electricity, notably owing to its nuclear power stations (73.8%
of energy production) and hydraulic power (15.3%). The Rhône-Alpes region is a net exporter of
electricity.
Structure of the production of energy in the Rhône-Alpes region
Nuclear
1.6% Hydraulic energy (excluding pumped storage)
15.3%
Photovoltaic solar energy
7.5%
73.8% 0.3% Electricity from biogas
0.2% Energy wood
0.2% 0.7% Heat from biogas
0.1%
0.0% Thermal with fossil fuels
0.1% Wind energy
8.4% 0.1%
Electricity from waste
Other electricity produced using renewable fuel
Heat from waste
Thermal solar energy

2011
Hydraulic power (excluding pumped storage) 17,650
Wind energy 350
Photovoltaic solar energy 200
Electricity from waste 251 Production
Electricity from biogas 91 of renewable
Other electricity produced using renewable fuel 17 energy in 2011
Total renewable electricity production 18,559
Energy wood 8,805
Heat from waste 852
Heat from biogas 142
Thermal solar energy 97
Total renewable heat production 9,896
(in GWh)

Total renewable production 28,455

The third European objective consists of raising the share of renewable energy to 20% of final
energy consumption by using notably biofuels and other renewable sources for transport.
Over the past few years, the penetration rate of renewable energy in final energy consumption has been in
the region of 17%. It was 15% in 2011. This decrease is notably explained by the considerable reduction
in hydraulic production (-25% between 2010 and 2011) due to high temperatures and low rainfall.

9
 RESIDENTIAL SECTOR

Final energy consumption

The residential sector was the second largest consumer of energy in the Rhône-Alpes region in 2010,
with 4.4 million tonnes of oil equivalent, i.e. 27% of final energy consumption. If we add to this the
energy consumption of the tertiary sector, the building sector becomes the largest consumer of ener-
gy, with 41% of consumption (against 44% nationally).
In 2010, consumption in the residential sector was the same level as 2000, dropping since 2009
(-6.7%). The main form of energy used was gas, followed by electricity and petroleum products. The
shares of electricity and gas have been constantly increasing since 1990, to the detriment above all of
petroleum products and more surprisingly, of renewable thermal energy. The main use of energy in
the residential sector is heat (heating, air-conditioning, domestic hot water, cooking).

5,000

4, 500

4, 000

3, 500
> Evolution of
3, 000 consumption in the
residential sector
2, 500

2,000
(in kilotonnes of oil equivalent)

1, 500
Renewable thermal energy
1, 000 Electricity
Gas
500
Petroleum products
0 Solid mineral fuel
1990 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

599
14%

> Energy consumption usage

in the residential sector
3,836
86% Heat
Specific electricity (appliances and lighting)
(in ktoe)

10
 Greenhouse gas emissions
The residential sector represented 19% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the Rhône-Alpes region
in 2010. Emissions have been dropping since 2005, and in terms of the number of inhabitants, they
have dropped slightly since, with 1.28 tonnes of CO2 equivalent / inhabitant in 2010 against 1.31
tonnes of CO2 equivalent / inhabitant in 1990. Emissions are mainly due to petroleum products and
vary by county 1, depending on the number of inhabitants.

1 French «départements» (8 counties in the Rhône-Alpes region : Ain, Ardèche, Drôme, Isère, Loire, Rhône, Savoie and
Haute-Savoie)
10,500
10,000
9,500
9,000
8,500 > Evolution of GHG
emissions in the
(in kilotonnes of CO2 equivalent)

8,000
7,500 residential sector
7,000
6,500
6,000
5,500
5,000
1990 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Rate of evolution of GHG emissions in the residential sector

2009 - 2010 : -10% 2005 - 2010 : -14% 1990 - 2010 : +8%

1,80

1,60

1,40

1,20 > Evolution of GHG

(in tonnes of CO2 equivalent/inhabitant)

1,00 emissions in the

0,80
residential sector
per inhabitant
0,60

0,40

0,20

0,00
1990 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

11
 TERTIARY SECTOR

Final energy consumption

Energy consumption in the tertiary sector represented 14% of regional consumption. In this sector,
gas was the most consumed form of energy in 2010.
Whilst the share of petroleum products has been dropping since 2000, it was more than made up
for by the use of gas and electricity. Just as in the residential sector, 2010 saw a small drop compared
with 2009 (-2.7%). Energy intensity per employee, which calculates the share of energy consumed
per employee in the tertiary sector, varies according to the county. This variation depends on the type
of tertiary activity: winter sport tourist activities, large consumers of energy, have a not insignificant
share for the Savoie counties.

2,500

2,000 Evolution of
tertiary sector
consumption
1, 500

1, 000
Renewable thermal energy
Electricity
500
Gas
Petroleum products
(in ktoe)

0 Solid mineral fuel

1990 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Rate of evolution of final energy consumption in the tertiary sector

2009 - 2010 : -3% 2005 - 2010 : -8% 1990 - 2010 : +14%

Energy intensity (in toe per employee)

Ain Ardèche Drôme Isère Loire Rhône Savoie Haute-Savoie Rhône-Alpes region

1.10 0.89 0.92 1.19 1.17 0.97 1.34 1.26 1.10

12
 Greenhouse gas emissions
The tertiary sector represented a small share of greenhouse gas emissions in the Rhône-Alpes region
in 2010 (9%), and emissions have been dropping since 2005. Rural mountain municipalities, notably
in Haute-Savoie and Savoie, have a high rate of emissions per inhabitant. These two counties have
greater heating requirements.

5,500
5,000
4 ,500
4,000
3,500
3,000 Evolution of GHG
2,500 emissions in
(in Kt of CO2 equivalent)

2,000 the tertiary sector

1,500
1,000
500
0
1990 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Rate of greenhouse gas emissions in the tertiary sector

2009 - 2010 : -5% 2005 - 2010 : -16% 1990 - 2010 : +5%

GHG emissions of buildings

(residential + tertiary) per
municipality per inhabitant

Emissions in tonnes of CO2 equivalent per inhabitant

>4
3 to 4
2 to 3
1 to 2
0 to 1

kilometers

13
 INDUSTRY

Final energy consumption

Industry is the second largest consumer, almost equal to transport. The effect of the crisis was greatly
felt in the industrial sector in 2009. In 2010, energy consumption started to rise again (+5.41% com-
pared with 2009). Electricity is the most used form of energy in industry, with a share almost equal
to fossil energy.

6,000

5,500

5,000

4,500
Evolution of
4,000 consumption
in industry
3,500

3,000

2,500
(in ktoe)

2,000
1990 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Rate of evolution of final energy consumption in industry

2009 - 2010 : +5% 2005 - 2010 : -9% 1990 - 2010 : -2%

6 ,000

Energy consumed
5,000 in industry

4,000

3,000
Renewable thermal energy

2,000 Waste
Electricity

1,000 Gas
Petroleum products
(in ktoe)

0 Solid mineral fuel

1990 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

14
 Greenhouse gas emissions
Industry is the second highest emitter, with 27% of greenhouse gas emissions. Emissions have been
dropping sharply since 1990 (-13%), with a very clear trend since 2005 and significant reduction,
together with reductions in consumption between 2008 and 2009. Industry in the Rhône-Alpes re-
gion has brought its greenhouse gas emissions well under control since the 1990s, thanks to energy
efficiency efforts and also as a result of changing its energy mix. Emissions which are not derived from
energy (industrial processes, use of solvents, waste management) represent approximately 20% of
GHG emissions in the sector.

14,000

13,500

13,000

12,500 Evolution of GHG

emissions in industry
(in kilotonnes of CO2 equivalent)

12,000

11,500

11,000

10,500

10,000
1990 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Rate of evolution of GHG emissions in industry

2009 - 2010 : +15% 2005 - 2010 : -8% 1990 - 2010 : -13%

18,000

16,000

14,000

12 ,000
Share of energy and
(in kilotonnes of CO2 equivalent)

10,000 non-energy emissions

8 ,000 in industry
6 ,000

4 ,000

2,000
Emissions not derived from energy
0 Emissions derived from energy
1990 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

15
 TRANSPORT

Final energy consumption

The transport sector is the largest consumer of energy, with 29% of consumption in 2010. Its
consumption has been globally stable since 2000, with a slight downward trend (-0.6% between 2009
and 2010). Electricity represents only 2% of consumption in the transport sector (train, tramway),
which largely relies on petroleum products (91%). Road transport is by far the largest consumer of all
the types of transport in the Rhône-Alpes region, representing 94% of consumption.

6,000

5,500

5,000

4,500
Evolution of
consumption
4,000 in transport
3,500

3,000

2,500
(in ktoe)

2,000
1990 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Rate of evolution of final energy consumption of transport

2009 - 2010 : -0,5% 2005 - 2010 : -3% 1990 - 2010 : +8%

8
164 0%
4% 106
2%

Distribution of
consumption per
type of transport
4,531
94%

Air transport
River transport
Rail transport
Road transport
(in ktoe)

16
 Greenhouse gas emissions
The transport sector emits the most greenhouse gas, with 31% of emissions in 2010, a large share
owing to its almost exclusive consumption of petroleum products. The road sector is by far the main
contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. The emissions of the transport sector are due (approximately
99%) to the consumption of petroleum products, and are close to the level of 1990. GHG emissions
are dropping faster than consumption as a result of the gradual introduction of agro-fuel.

16,000

15,500
15,000
14,500 ,

14,000 Evolution of
13,500 GHG emissions
13,000 in transport
(in kilotonnes of CO2 equivalent)

12,500

12,000

11,500
11,000
10,500

10,000
1990 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Rate of evolution of greenhouse gas emissions in transport

2009 - 2010 : -1% 2005 - 2010 : -8% 1990 - 2010 : +2 %

23
531 0% 91
4% 1%

Distribution of
GHG emissions
13,299 per type of transport
95%

Air transport
River transport
Rail transport
Road transport
(in kilotonnes of CO2 equivalent)

17
 AGRICULTURE

Final energy consumption and greenhouse

Overall consumption of final energy in the agricultural sector remained stable and low in 2010 (1%
of the total). Agriculture in the Rhône-Alpes region consumes mainly petroleum products. Dropping
slightly since 2008, oil remains the most consumed form of energy in agriculture.

500

400

300
Evolution of
consumption in
200
agriculture
100
(in ktoe)

0
1990 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Rate of evolution of final energy consumption in agriculture

2009 - 2010 : +3% 2005 - 2010 : -1% 1990 - 2010 : +13%

7,500

7,000

6,500

6,000

5,500 Evolution of GHG

5,000 emissions in
4,500 agriculture
4,000
(in kt of CO2 equivalent)

3,500

3,000

2,500

2,000
1990 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Rate of evolution of greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture

2009 - 2010 : +0,5% 2005 - 2010 : -1% 1990 - 2010 : -18%

18
gas emissions
Whilst agriculture consumes very little energy (1%) in the Rhône-Alpes region, it is a large contributor
to the greenhouse gas emissions total, representing 14%. The majority of its emissions (90%) do not
come from the consumption of energy products, but from livestock breeding and land cultivation.
Emissions not derived from energy dropped 14% between 1990 and 2010. This drop has stabilized
overall since 2006. Urban centres are obviously small contributors, but some rural regions are also
very low emitters: south Ardèche, the south-east of Isère. These are regions in which livestock rearing
is less prevalent.

6,800

6,600

6,400

6,200
Evolution of non-energy
6,000
GHG emissions
in agriculture
5,800
(in kt of CO2 equivalent)

5,600

5,400

5,200

5,000
1990 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

GHG emissions
per municipality
and per hectare

Emissions in tonnes of CO2 equivalent per hectare

>4
3 to 4
2 to 3
1 to 2
0 to 1

kilometers

19
 Production of renewable energy in 2011

Production of renewable energy in the Rhône-Alpes region in 2011 was 28,455 GWh. It is made up
of electricity (65.2%) and heat (34.8%), mainly energy wood. Production of renewable electric energy
represents 21.5% of total electricity production.

Structure of production of renewable energy in 2011

0.7%
1.2% 0.9%
0.3%
0.1%

30.9%

62% 34.8%

3%

0.5%
0.3%

Hydraulic power (excluding pumped storage) Wind energy

Photovoltaic solar energy Electricity from waste
Electricity from biogas Other electricity produced using renewable fuel
Energy wood Heat from waste
Heat from biogas Thermal solar energy

20
 Production of electricity from renewable energy
Production of renewable electricity in the Rhône-Alpes region in 2011 was 18,559 GWh.The 534
hydraulic power stations listed in the Rhône-Alpes region (all power sources taken into account) re-
present the largest share of renewable electricity produced in the Rhône-Alpes region. In 2011, a
year with high temperatures and low rain fall, there was a drop in the region of 25% in hydroelectric
production. Wind production has been stagnating for a few years around 350 GWh produced annual-
ly. Wind farms remain at around 169 MW power output. Photovoltaic production has been rapidly
developing for a few years, notably in the counties of the south of the region, and it is reaching almost
1% of total renewable energy production. The production of electricity from biogas and waste (coge-
neration), with 369 GWh, is slightly greater than wind production.

Hydroelectric production since 2008

Production, in GWh 2008 2009 2010 2011

Hydraulic
Productionproduction
hydraulique 25,271 21,494 23,461 17,650
(pumped storage
(pompages deducted)
déduits)

Wind production per county and power output since 2009

200
182
180
161
160

140

120

100

80

60
40
(in GWh)

20
0.1 60 0.05 0.1 0.01
0
Ain Ar dèche Drôme Isère Loi re Rhône Savoie

2009 2010 2011 2012

Wind farms (MW) 141 145 169 169

Wind production (GWh) 346 351 350 NA

21
 Evolution of the production of photovoltaic power since 2005 and
production per county
300

257
250

200
200

150

98
100

50
19,9
(in GWh)

3,63 9,51
1,07 1,6
0
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

70,0

60,0

50,0 2009

40,0 2010
2011
30,0

20,0
10,0
(in GWh)

0,0
Ain Ardèche Drôme Isère Loi re Rhône Savoie Haute -
Savoie

Electricity production from biomass per county

100
91
90
80
70
60
50
50
40
26
30
20
10 3
(in GWh)

10 2 1
0
Ain Drôme Isère Loire Rhône Savoie Haute- Rhône -
Savoie Alpes region

22
 Production of heat from renewable energy
Production of heat derived from renewable energy was 9,896 GWh in the Rhône-Alpes region in
2011. Renewable energy is also produced in the form of heat. This is derived mainly from energy
wood, which has been steadily growing after dropping in the first years of the new millennium.
Between 1990 and 2000, heat was produced for the most part using domestic wood. Since 2000,
collective wood energy plants have taken off. The production of heat derived from energy wood,
which has increased by 2% annually since 2006, was estimated to be 8,805 GWh in 2011. Thermal
solar energy produced 96 GWh of heat in 2011, via various types of equipment (water heating,
heating, solar drying…).

Evolution of the production of heat derived from energy wood

12,000

10,000

8,000

6,000

4,000

2,000
(in GWh)

0
1990 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Power output of automatical boilers per county

180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
Individual boilers
20
(in MW)

0 Collective boilers
Ain Ardèche Drôme Isère Loire Rhône Savoie Haute -
Savoie

23
 Production of thermal solar energy per type of plant

TYPE OF EQUIPMENT NUMBER OF SURFACE PRODUCTION

PLANTS INSTALLED (m²) (MWh)

Thermal solar energy total 22,615 313,709 96,785

Solar water heating 18,238 149,235 59,694

Individual solar water heating 16,186 78,184 31,273
Collective solar water heating 2,052 71,051 28,421

Solar combi-system 3,549 51,997 25,998

Individual solar combi-system 3,320 45,118 22,559
Collective solar combi-system 229 6,878 3,439

Solar flooring 595 9,963 4,981

Individual solar flooring 534 8,498 4,249
Collective solar flooring 61 1,465 732

Solar pond (swimming pool) 26 3,971 1,191

Solar drying of fodder 199 98,409 4,920

Heat from waste

In 2011, 9 waste incinerators out of 12 produced and sold thermal energy in the Rhône-Alpes region
for a total of 852 GWh.

24
 Distribution of the production of biogas per type of recovery

16%

2%

82%

Cogeneration
Injection
Thermal

Heat from biogas

160
142
140

120

80 70
50
60

40
11
(in GWh)

20
2 6 1 2
0
Ain Drôme Isère Loi re Rhône Savoie Haute- Rhône -
Savoie Alpes region

25
Carbon sinks
The term «carbon sink» is used to describe natural (or artificial) reservoirs which absorb carbon in the
air. Carbon sinks are an essential tool in the fight against global warming because they allow a large
part of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to be captured and stored.
OREGES tried to assess, as an initial approximation, the amount of CO2 absorbed by permanent pas-
tures and forests, per municipality and per year, in the Rhône-Alpes region. The assessment takes into
account permanent pastures and forests, according to the nomenclature and land cover of the Corine
Land Cover database. This mapping provides an initial overview of the distribution of CO2 stored
annually per municipality in the Rhône-Alpes region.

Amount of CO2 absorbed by permanent pastures and forests per municipality

and per year in the Rhône-Alpes region (data: 2006)

Absorption in tonnes of CO2

>m15,000
10,000 to 15,000
2,500 to 10,000
0 to 2,500

kilometers

26
Glossary
Final energy: Final energy is the energy supplied to consumers, to be converted to useful energy. For example:
electricity, petrol, gas, diesel fuel, domestic fuel, etc.

Primary energy: Primary energy is the crude form of energy available in nature: wood, coal, natural gas, oil, wind,
solar radiation, hydraulic power, geothermal energy… Primary energy is not always directly useable and is there-
fore often subject to conversions: for example, oil refining to obtain petrol or diesel fuel or combustion of coal to
produce electricity in a thermal power plant.

Useful energy: Useful energy is the energy available to the consumer after it has been converted by his equipment
(boilers, electric convectors, light bulbs). The difference between final energy and useful energy resides mainly in
the efficiency of the appliances used to convert this final energy.

Toe: The tonne oil equivalent (toe) is a unit for measuring energy commonly used by energy economists to com-
pare energies. One toe is the energy produced by the combustion of an average tonne of oil, which represents
approximately 11,600 kWh.

TCO2e: tonne of CO2 equivalent. Unit allowing equivalence to be provided between the various greenhouse gases
and carbon dioxide (CO2) in terms of the production of greenhouse effect.

Energy intensity: Energy intensity measures the energy efficiency of an economy or sector of activity. It is calcu-
lated as the ratio of energy consumption to gross domestic product, or the value added of the sector of activity.

The regional assessment of final energy consumption corresponds to the inventory of the use of different
types of energy in regions. The measurements of the amounts of energy used express regional requirements in
terms of travel, lighting, heating, the production of goods and services… The assessment of consumptions diffe-
rentiates energies and sectors of consumption.

It is generally acknowledged that the consumption of heating is proportional to the severity of winter. The normal
weather assessment corresponds to adjusted consumptions, taking into account the effects of temperature. Real
weather consumptions are those which have actually been consumed over the year.

The prefixes represent multiples of units: kilo (k, for a thousand, mega (M, for a million), giga (G, for a billion),
tera (T, for a trillion)

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 The most recent regional and sub-regional mapping and statistical data,

An analysis of data and its development per energy product,

per consumption sector and per energy production sector,

Available at www.oreges.rhonealpes.fr

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For further information or requests, contact us at: oreges@rhonealpes.fr

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