Displaying Grid Carbon Emission Patterns Over Hours
The real-time emissions data platform, Electricity Maps, has unveiled a visualization illustrating the hourly carbon intensity of the Dutch electricity grid throughout 2024. The visualization, presented as a grid, displays each column as a day and each row as an hour, with colors indicating the varying carbon intensity at each hour.
To construct this intricate hourly carbon intensity graph, Electricity Maps merged data from national energy certificate records with grid operations data, enabling them to calculate the carbon intensity on an hourly basis. The result highlights the significant fluctuations in emissions levels from hour to hour, emphasizing the importance of hourly data, as opposed to annual averages, in offering precise carbon accounting and facilitating smarter climate action.
According to the visualization, the hourly carbon intensity of the Dutch electricity grid in 2024 exhibits a mixed trend, indicative of ongoing decarbonization efforts yet still impacted by reliance on fossil fuels and fluctuating renewable generation patterns.
Chief among the declining sources of carbon emissions was gas-fired power generation, which experienced a roughly 5% decrease compared to 2023. This downward trend aligns with the broader multi-year decline in gas generation. Additionally, the Dutch government's efforts to reduce coal usage resulted in a decline, consistent with the EU's overall drop in coal generation to below 10% of total power for the first time in decades.
On the other hand, the increased share of renewable energy in the Netherlands' energy consumption was a key factor contributing to the overall decrease in carbon emissions. By 2024, renewable energy sources accounted for 83% of the country's total energy consumption, with wind, solar, and biogas making up a significant portion of the total. The expansion and lifespan extensions of offshore wind assets, backed by companies like Google and Shell, have further bolstered renewable output, reducing carbon intensity during times when renewables are generating.
Despite fluctuations in carbon intensity, the Dutch power sector's overall emissions trend shows a downward direction, thanks to reduced fossil fuel generation and increased renewables. However, emissions related to AI and cloud computing infrastructure saw a 13% increase in 2024.
In summary, the hourly carbon intensity curve of the Dutch electricity grid in 2024 reveals dramatic shifts, moving towards lower intensity during high renewable output periods and increasing during fossil fuel reliance. The results highlight the country's continued transition towards cleaner electricity, with fossil fuel generation becoming increasingly marginal and the share of renewable energy rising, driving lower average carbon intensity values throughout the day and year, as shown by Electricity Maps.
Science and technology played a crucial role in the study of climate-change and environmental-science in the Netherlands. For instance, the Real-time emissions data platform, Electricity Maps, used data from national energy certificate records and grid operations to create an hourly carbon intensity graph for Dutch electricity grids in 2024. This graph highlighted the fluctuations in emissions levels during the year, thereby emphasizing the importance of hourly data in climate action and carbon accounting.
