Renewable Energy Sources

The Ministry of Energy and Water Resources is working to ensure the development and expeditious integration of renewable energy sources in Israel, in order to promote energy security and independence, and to strengthen the environment. In the process, Israeli industry and technology will be developed, as will sources of livelihood, particularly in Israel’s outlying regions.

Awareness is growing in Israel and worldwide for the importance of encouraging the transition to renewable energy sources – energy harnessed from the sun, wind, biomass and other c that are not fossil fuels. Many countries are investing in the development and construction of power stations that run on clean energy, due to considerations such as environmental protection, a steep rise in fossil fuel prices and dependence on the suppliers of those fuels, some of which are located in hostile or unstable countries. At the heart of these trends lies the realization that reserves of exhaustible energy sources will not last forever, and that we must therefore prepare by diversifying energy sources now.

The main technologies likely to be practical for Israel’s electricity sector are:

Solar energy: Israel has lots of sunshine, which offers excellent potential as an energy source. A tender for the construction of two thermal solar power stations at the Ashalim site in the Negev with a total capacity of 250 megawatts and a photovoltaic power station with a capacity of 30 megawatt is in the final stages of preparation.
In addition, as a result of Government regulations introduced in 2008, the use of distributed photovoltaic systems connected to the electricity grid is expanding in Israel, and hundreds of megawatts of installations have been constructed to date.

Wind energy: for geographic, topographic and environmental reasons, there is little potential for the exploitation of wind energy in Israel. There are currently several wind turbines operating on the Golan Heights on a limited scale. Wind turbine farms are being considered for additional sites, and the Government is helping by setting special tariffs and locating suitable sites.

Biomass (solid waste, landfills and wastewater): energy can be generated from municipal and agricultural solid waste in two key ways: by direct incineration or by fermentation and utilizing the biogas created from the solid waste containing methane gas CH4. In addition, biogas can be produced from wastewater or collected as a result of natural release from landfills. There are schemes of various sizes operating in Israel that generate and utilize biogas, and tariffs are regulated. An inter-ministerial team is reviewing the matter.

Ministry Policy

The Ministry of Energy and Water Resources is promoting generation of electricity from renewable energy sources, particularly solar, wind and biomass energy sources (solid waste fermentation, gas from landfills, fermentation of sludge in wastewater treatment, etc.), in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and the Public Utility Authority – Electricity.

Goals
The goals include:
Reducing imports of primary energy sources (mainly oil and coal), thereby easing the financial burden on the economy, lessening strategic dependence, and reducing the trade deficit.
Reducing air pollution and its financial ramifications for the economy, such as healthcare costs.
Promoting local technologies and integrating innovative technologies from other countries.

The guiding principles

Creating certainty in the area of renewable energy sources, and delineating electricity generation targets up to the year 2020.
Encouraging the construction of electricity generation facilities based on renewable energy sources in Israel in general, and in outlying regions of the country in particular.
Encouraging research, development and the renewable energy industry in Israel.
Strengthening Israel’s energy security.
Encouraging electricity generation using environmentally friendly technologies.
Increasing electricity generation from renewable energy sources while reducing the tariff burden on consumers.
Over the years, the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources has initiated and promoted surveys and estimates of Israel’s primary renewable energy sources (sun and wind), which constitute a vital tool for planners and decision makers in the energy sector, potential developers and investors, energy researchers and the public at large.

Renewable energy sources: the national target

In 2002, the Ministerial Committee for Social and Economic Affairs decided to encourage the construction and operation of electricity installations and power stations powered by renewable energy sources by private electricity producers and by the Israel Electric Corporation (Resolution 2264). The resolution set a target of 2% of electricity generation for consumers coming from renewable energy sources as of 2007, increasing by one percent every three years up to a level of 5% of total electricity generation in 2016 and 10% by 2020. Accordingly, the Public Utility Authority – Electricity published premiums for the generation of electricity from renewable energy sources, the level of which will be commensurate with the benefit gained by the economy from the reduced pollution.

In 2007, the Israeli Government passed Resolution 2718 to remove barriers in the energy sector and to encourage electricity generation by private developers, construction of power stations based on renewable energy sources and a transition to the use of natural gas for generating electricity. It did so by examining tariffs for electricity generation based on solar energy and by encouraging the construction of power stations based on renewables by offering tax incentives.

In 2009, the Government passed Resolution 4450, setting a guideline target and formulating measures to promote the use of renewable energy sources, especially in the Negev and Arava regions. The resolution sets an electricity generation target from renewable energy sources of 10% of the country's energy needs in 2020, and calls for the building of power stations based on renewable energy sources in the Negev and Arava regions, of at least 250 megawatts each year. An interim target of 5% of electricity consumption coming from renewable energy sources by 2014 was also set.

In 2010, the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources accordingly published a policy document for the integration of renewable energy sources in generation of electricity in Israel.

In July 2011, the Israeli Government accepted the recommendations of the document (Resolution 3484), reaffirmed the targets set in 2009, and established quotas for the generation of electricity from solar energy, wind energy and energy based on biogas, biomass and solid waste sources. The resolution requires the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources to formulate a revised policy to achieve the Government targets for the year 2020, and to promote the implementation and integration of effective and innovative Israeli technologies for the generation of electricity from renewable energy sources. To this end, the Ministry received an allocation of NIS 10 million to incentivize specific projects such as commercial demonstration installations.

$Save\Share$

Save \ Share