In a publication last year the economist John o

Of the billion euros Enel Green Power currently invests in clean energy production, 75 are directed to markets where these energies are already profitable without public support. "Paolo Frankl, responsible for renewable energy (ENR) to the International Energy Agency, the competitiveness of the ENR is no shortage of examples. The Intergovernmental Group of experts on the climate change (IPCC), which yesterday published its estimate of the potential of clean energy, developing this unsung observation. "The overall cost of renewable energy is currently higher than prices of conventional energy sources, but, under certain conditions, it is already competitive", write the experts.

While the debate floundered on the possibility of happen totally polluting energy, after the disasters of the Gulf of the Mexico or Fukushima, then Swiss and German anti-nuclear decisions, the ENR necessary discreetly on the market. Or rather the markets, consisting of 4 major segments: electricity, heat, the market of wholesale and users. Hydropower, profitable long in existing operations, remains a choice always cheaper that hydrocarbons, in the countries which keep beautiful deposits, said Bernard Chabot Negawatt Association. The best wind farms also achieve Tickle fossil competitors, including on the spot markets, on which producers sell their megawatt-hour on the eve of their delivery to brokers or industry. More.

Even the most expensive of these technologies, photovoltaic (PV), becomes realistic in the individual market. The Greenpeace, Sven Teske Energy Economist participated in the IPCC report. For him, the report data that are more than two years are already exceeded: "next year, the cost of the phot ovoltaïque reaches the 20 cents per kilowatt hour in Germany euro." It is the price that pay a lot of people from their provider. They will soon have an interest in producing locally rather than depending on only the network. "A few days ago, this is GE promising with its technology kWh solar 10 cents of dollar by 3 to 5 years, confirming that the technology is already credible in some American States.

In a publication last year, the economist John o. Blackburn, of Duke University, went further still: for him, the year 2010 represented a historic turning point because the costs of production of solar and nuclear power are crossed, around $ 0.16 per kilowatt-hour. Mark Cooper of the Vermont Law School's Institute for Energy and Environment, confirms that the cost of renewable energy continues lower, while nuclear power is stable or even increase in eight years. These calculations are questionable, and the encryption of the overall cost of the atom remains subject to debate. But they erode the image of a cheap nuclear and a solar out of reach.

Several phenomena explain the acceleration of the ENR. Technology continues to grow faster than expected: cell yield, diameter of the blades of wind, heat exchanger efficiency... In parallel, prices plummet, explains Arnaud Chaperon, Director electricity and new energies in Total. Asian suppliers of European competition has caused a large increase of the industrial capacities. The crisis, it was a decline in demand and the price of the equipment. "We begin to see solar panels unless a watt euro, prices do not rise," said Arnaud chaperone.

Experts warn however that this decrease in the overall cost will not be enough to upset the market. As Sven Teske, these sources require heavy initial investment that may not provide many users, for which it is easier to pay a fuel the day day, even if the cost is higher. "A combined cycle thermal power means to invest two times less than a dam and up to three times less than in wind, or four times less than in PV", insists Bernard Chabot. Arnaud chaperone is no illusions on the brakes fail to stand around when the ENR décolleront for good.