Czech Republic

Current Situation
Czech Republic is morphologically indented country, with large forests area (33.7% of total state area) and with intensive agriculture production concentrated mainly to high farms (1300 ha per company). The country is European watershed; all water drain from country area and big part of water energy is dispersed in small rivers. Czech Republic is classified (with app. 350 kWh/ha) as hydro energetically poor country in comparison with other European countries. Considering the average year temperature (from 3.6 to 10ºC) it is necessary to take into consideration not only electricity production, but heat production as well.

Motor bio fuels starts to play important role too, mainly as competitor for biomass for heating and electricity production. Czech Republic has important production capacities for bio ethanol and methyl-ester. Biomass has the highest share on primary energy production from RES (about 80%). There is mainly biomass for heating of households. Production from water power stations depends on rivers waterishness per year. An increase to the use of other sources is related to the adoption of state subsidies for renewable energy sources, by a way of prices guaranty to producers of electricity (from biogas, wind power stations, PV systems and small hydropower stations) or subsidies to households (heat pumps, solar thermal collectors).

Currently, the main renewable energy source for electricity production is water energy, from big valley hydropower stations (about 3% of RES). After the ratification of Czech law No. 180/2005 Sb., which defines supports of electricity production from RES, the importance of other RES started to grow as well. Unfortunately, as the ratification of this law took place rather late, it has as consequence that Czech Republic will not be able to fulfil the goal of 8% share of electricity production from RES by 2010, which was set in the Act of Czech Republic accession to EU at 2004.

Production of heat plays important role in the Czech Republic. The obligation of industries to pay a 10% duty for solid fossil fuels production from 1.1.2008, increased the prices of brown coal and electricity and assisted in increasing the share of biomass for heating of households (wood logs mainly), mainly in countryside.

Owing to state subsidies, and mainly to the subsidy granted for changing heating systems from fossil based to renewable energy based, the share of RES on heating will grow considerably, not only biomass (annual increase about 6%), but also heat pumps and solar thermal collectors too. There are about 130 000 of solar thermal collectors in the Czech Republic, but average increase is about 20% (heat pumps 20%) per year.

State subsidies from State Environment Fund are important for increasing of building insulations. Mandatory energy audit was introduced by the law No. 177/2006 Sb. This energy audit is necessary for all new buildings and buildings after reconstruction. The aim of the audit is to evaluate current situation and definition of energy savings possibilities, from energy, economic and environmental points of view (influence of energy savings on environment).

Perspectives
Most of energy on Earth comes from the sun; today people use only about 0.01 per thousand of total sun energy, which falls on the Earth. Energetic density of RES is much lesser than fossil sources, thus different principles of using them are needed and above all, it is essential to change the way people think. Our civilization has used Renewable energy sources for major part of its history, while fossil fuels are only used the last 2 centuries. From this point of view, usage of renewable energy sources is only a return to our roots.

In the year 2005, the important Czech law No. 180/2005, related to the support of RES usage for electricity production, was ratified. A second relevant step in favour RES in the Czech Republic was the introduction of law No. 177/2006, about energy management.

Operational Programme Environment (OPE), priority axis 3 „Sustainable Use of Energy Sources“, opened possibilities for the support of RES. The aim of the programme is to increase the use of renewable energy sources for generating heat and electric energy, as well as the use of waste heat. A total of 5.2 billion Euro is offered to municipalities, towns, regions, universities, non-profit organisations and business organisations owned by municipalities and towns.

There are also some other RES supporting projects, such as: Heat generation
The construction and modernisation of local and central heat sources using renewable energy sources for heating in buildings, cooling and hot water heating.
Electric energy generation
The installation of photovoltaic systems for electric energy generation. The construction and modernisation of wind and small water power plants. The construction of geothermal power plants and biomass burning plants (solid, gaseous or liquid biomass).
Grants may account for 20% of the total eligible expenses; however, there is a maximum limit of CZK 50 milion.

Combined generation of electric energy and heat
The installation of co-generation facilities burning biogas, waste and sludge gas; biogas stations.
The installation of co-generation facilities using solid biomass.
Combined generation of electric energy and heat from geothermal energy. Grants may account for 40% of the total eligible expenses; however, there is a maximum limit of CZK 100 milion.

The realisation of energy savings
Reducing energy consumption by improving the thermal insulation characteristics of building envelopes.

The use of waste heat
Applying waste heat use technologies.
The non-governmental Energetic Committee (NEC) compiled a report titled „About appraisal of energy requirements of Czech Republic at long time to the year 2050“ for Czech government in the year 2008. The results can be summarised into the following conclusions: It is necessary for using affordable RES potential:
To introduce a law for heat production from RES, similar to the one that already exists for electricity production from RES,
To simplify the process of permissions for RES production in the Czech Republic, by the EU directive No. 2001/77/ES,
To support research and development oriented to RES,
To lead information campaigns oriented to public about the advantages and the potentials of RES,
To plan strategic development of electric grids with respect to future necessities of RES.

The main renewable energy sources with the highest potential in the Czech Republic are biomass, solar and geothermal energy. The up till now dominant water energy will be less important in the future. The potential of wind energy is small too, when compared to biomass.

Solar energy
Total sum of sun radiation per year is in average about 1050 kWh per square meter. Both ways of sun radiation transformation are developed. Solar thermal collectors will be used more for heating. PV systems are used more often as construction component of new roofs. Large PV power stations are constructed too.

Biomass
Biomass is the most important renewable source in the Czech Republic. Except for wood logs and straw bales briquettes and pellets production is developed very quickly. Production capacity is 165 943 tons of briquettes and 259 245 tons of pellets. Total year (2008) production is about 230 000 tons. More than half of this production is exported now.

Using of biomass for bio fuels production is developed together with biomass for heating and electricity production.

Water energy
Water energy in the Czech Republic has only small potential for development; substantial share of total potential is used at present days.

Wind energy
Estimated total number of wind power station in the Czech Republic is 1260, with total installed power output about 2750 MW and with about 6000 GWh of total electricity production per year.

Geothermal energy
Today only potential of shallow rock subsoil is used for production of heat (heat pumps). In the future we can utilize geothermal energy from deep drill holes for production of heat and electric energy. Estimated number of holes is about 140 in the year 2050.

Key Players
State
Creation of new ecological legislation that support RES for heat production, support of energy savings and adoption of carbon tax.
State Environment Fund supports energy savings, construction and reconstruction of small RES in households and small municipalities, as villages. Ministry of Industry and Trade deals with mapping of RES market, mainly with briquettes, pellets, solar collectors and heat pumps. These reports are public and can be used as info source for business companies.

CEZ
Company with state majority. ČEZ, the biggest Czech electricity producer, plans to invest 30 billion Czech crowns into renewable energy sources in the next 15 years; big portion of the total investment (about 20 billions) will go to the inauguration of new power stations. The targets of ČEZ at RES area are related to the goal of Czech Republic, which is to produce 13 % of total energy consumption from RES to the year 2020.

It is worth stating that in 2008, the electricity production from biomass burning increased about 31.2 % (annually), production from water power increased about 2.9%, leading to a total of about 8.7% of production from renewable energy sources.

CZ –BIOM
CZ Biom is a non-governmental non-profitable association, founded in 1994 with the objective to promotion of biomass usage, the development of phyto-energetics, composting and usage of biogas and other bio fuels in the Czech Republic. CZ Biom deals with research of biomass used for production of electricity and heat.

CZ Biom collaborates with important specialists, enterprises and other organisations that are also active in the field of biomass in the Czech Republic.

Farmers
About 2200 large farms with about 800 ha area of agriculture land have perspective potential for electricity and heat production from biogas and biomass in private biogas stations and biomass stokeholds.

Šebetov – agriculture company
Biogas is used for electricity production and for heating of buildings. Source: pig slurry, Power output: 210 kW heat and 130 kW electricity.

Towns – wastes – biogas stations, own biomass stokeholds
Town Žlutice. Central stokehold for biomass burning. Power output. 7.9 MW, straw and wood chips.

Prachatice
Biogas is used for electricity production and for heating of buildings. Source: municipal sewage sludge, Power output: 84 kW heat and 42 kW electricity.

Job demand
Renewable energy sources can be a great source of new working places in the Czech Republic. The Czech Ministry of Environment forecasts that RES will generate primary more than 10 000 new working places by 2010. More job positions are created at connected branches and at service sector too. Generally RES generate employment at many diverse branches and qualification grades.

The establishment of new biogas stations and new biomass stokeholds create new jobs not only at the agriculture sector, but also in other sectors such as construction, finances, state etc.

According to EU survey (each 10 MW of wind power creates 150 – 190 new jobs), the establishment of only one new wind power station generates from 750 to 950 working places.

Prediction of RES share on primary energy production until 2050 in the Czech Republic presupposes 400% increase of RES share. It is possible to assume that similar increase will be at employment sector too.

Czech Republic

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RES COMPASS project partners