Gray current
The term gray power , partly as a matter power referred to hereafter electricity traded electric energy of unknown origin. Gray electricity can contain energy from fossil fuels or nuclear power plants as well as electricity from renewable energy sources .
Relationship to green electricity
The term gray electricity is used, sometimes with a negative connotation , to distinguish it from “ green electricity ” - and is intended to motivate customers to switch electricity providers . However, this delimitation is not clear because the gray electricity also contains green electricity (in Germany about a quarter) and gray electricity can also be included in the electricity mix of green electricity providers. Thus, from Greenpeace Energy power until 2007 supplied from natural gas-fired cogeneration plants, and bright spot bought officially Gray Power on the exchange.
Situation in Germany
Composition of the gray stream
In the case of electricity bought on the electricity exchange, the electricity fed into the grid in the respective period can be used to estimate the composition. The gross electricity generation can also be used.
Gray electricity in electricity products
Regarding the labeling of electricity according to the Energy Industry Act EnWG § 42 , paragraph 4 says: "In the case of electricity quantities that cannot be clearly assigned to one of the energy carriers mentioned in paragraph 1 number 1 on the generation side , the ENTSO-E energy carrier mix for Germany, with the deduction of the number according to paragraph 5 1 and 2 are based on the proportions of electricity from renewable energies to be shown. "
This Germany mix will be published by the BDEW by August 15 of each year.
According to Greenpeace Energy, gray electricity can only be avoided at the level of balancing energy , but not at the level of control energy . Some green electricity providers use it and give as the reason a necessary purchase on the electricity exchange due to a deviation from the forecast. Electricity is traded there without taking its origin into account. This switch to the exchange only relates to the balancing energy.
In Germany, therefore, green electricity products always contain gray electricity. This fact is also referred to as the “unavoidable gray current component”.
Situation in Austria
In Austria, the sale of gray electricity is to be banned from 2013 to private customers and 2015 to industrial customers.
Web links
- So gray electricity suddenly turns green , Die Welt, February 20, 2012
Individual evidence
- ^ Klaus Fischer, Clemens Rosenkran: Handbook Energy Policy Austria . Lit Verlag, Münster, 2012 ( online version )
- ↑ Background information from Lichtblick, November 2013 ( Memento of the original from February 3, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Guideline of the BDEW page 44 Information on the publication of the ENTSO-E mix.
- ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original from January 12, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ http://www.iwr.de/news.php?id=20992
