Wind energy for sustainable development: Driving factors and future outlook

Renewable energy is one of the fastest growing segments of energy consumption and wind energy is one of the most widely used sources of renewable energy. There is, however, much less known about the main drivers of wind energy consumption at the country level. This paper uses the logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) method to study the driving factors in wind energy consumption for a group of 17 countries (Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, and the United States) that are major consumers of wind energy. The renewable energy share component has the largest impact on wind energy consumption. Improvements in energy intensity are the largest driver of reductions in wind energy consumption. Wind energy consumption forecasts for each country in the business as usual (BAU) scenario for the years 2018e2025 show that compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) for wind energy consumption are highest for Canada, Sweden, China, and Germany. Countries that have high shares of renewable energy like Spain, Portugal, and Denmark have low forecast values of CAGRs. Wind energy forecasts are also calculated for a high growth rate scenario and a low growth rate scenario. Future increases in wind energy consumption are going to depend upon the continued increase in renewable energy share which in turn is affected by energy policy designed to promote fuel switching from fossil fuels to renewables. (c) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This paper investigates the driving factors of wind energy consumption in 17 major consuming countries using the logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) method. It identifies renewable energy share and improvements in energy intensity as the main factors affecting wind energy consumption. Forecasts show that Canada, Sweden, China, and Germany are expected to have the highest compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) in wind energy consumption. Countries with high shares of renewable energy like Spain, Portugal, and Denmark are predicted to have lower CAGRs. Future increases in wind energy consumption will rely on the continuous rise in renewable energy share, which is influenced by energy policies promoting the switch from fossil fuels to renewables.