Green energy consumption up in Netherlands

The Netherlands used more energy from renewable sources, such as biomass and solar power, in 2015. Last year 5.8 percent of the total energy consumed came from renewable sources, compared to 5.5 percent in 2014 and 4.8 percent in 2013, according to figures Statistics Netherlands released on Thursday. A total of 118 petajoules of renewable energy was used last year, an increase of 7 percent compared than in 2014. The Netherlands' total energy consumption, fossil fuels included, increased 2 percent. Which is part of the reason that the increase in the share of renewable energy is lower than the previous year. The use of solar, wind and geothermal power increased by an average of 21 percent last year. But consumption of biomass generated energy only increased 2 percent, limiting the overall increase in renewable energy consumption. Energy from renewable sources was used for heat, electricity and transport. About half of the consumed renewable energy was used for heat last year. 40 percent went towards electricity and 10 percent was used for transport. Biomass energy used for heat increased 7 percent last year. Biomass is still the largest source of renewable energy in the Netherlands by far. Nearly 70 percent of all renewable energy consumed in the country comes from biomass.