Lorraine Williamson
Spain is the eighth-lowest EU country in terms of renewable energy use for heating and cooling, according to Eurostat data. Sweden leads the ranking, while Ireland has had the lowest percentage since 2019.
The 2023 EU Directive on the promotion of renewable energy requires member states to increase their average annual share of renewable energy in heating and cooling by at least 0.8 percentage points between 2021 and 2025. This target rises to 1.1 percentage points from 2026 to 2030.
Between 2014 and 2023, the EU average share of renewable energy in heating and cooling rose from 19.9% to 26.2%, an increase of 6.3 percentage points.
Countries exceeding 50% renewable share
Sweden has the highest percentage of renewable energy use for heating and cooling at 67.1%. This is followed by Estonia (66.7%), Latvia (61.4%), Finland (61.3%), Denmark (54.9%), and Lithuania (53.6%). These Northern European countries are the only ones exceeding the 50% threshold, relying mainly on biomass and heat pumps.
Spain ranks 20th with a 21.5% share, ahead of Ireland (7.9%), the Netherlands (10.2%), Belgium (11.3%), Luxembourg (15.5%), Germany (17.1%), Slovakia (18.8%), and Poland (20.4%).
Largest increases and decreases
Austria recorded the highest increase in renewable energy use for heating and cooling between 2022 and 2023, with a rise of 8.1 percentage points. Malta followed with a 7.5 percentage point increase, and Greece saw an improvement of 4.9 points.
The largest decreases occurred in Sweden (-2.7), Poland (-2.2), and Slovakia (-1.1). Spain saw a 2.0 percentage point increase.
Role of biomass and heat pumps
The overall increase in renewable energy use for heating and cooling across the EU is mainly due to the expanded use of biomass and heat pumps. These energy sources continue to drive growth in the sector, helping the EU meet its renewable energy targets.
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