Renewable energy accounted for 25.07% of Slovenia's gross final energy consumption last year, which means the country met the target under an EU directive for the first time.

Slovenia had originally been supposed to meet the 25% renewable energy target by 2020, but failed, so it had to pay for statistical transfers from other countries. This cost it almost €18 million over the past three years.

The share of renewables last year increased due to higher solar energy generation, larger production from hydro power plants, from the co-generation of heat and electricity and because of a higher share of biofuels in transport.

Data released by the Statistical Office on 5 November show the renewable energy share in the electricity sector rose by 4.88 percentage points to 41.89%, primarily due to a significant surge in solar power generation, which rose by 52.48%.

In the transport sector, the renewable energy share grew by 2.19 percentage points to 10.02%. Overall energy consumption in transport declined by 6.12%, but the use of renewable electricity in road transport rose by 49.09%, and biofuel consumption increased by 19.86%.

In the heating and cooling sector, the renewable energy share rose by 0.31 percentage points to 34.30%. Total energy consumption for heating and cooling dropped by 1.87%, while renewable energy consumption in this sector declined by 0.96%.

The bulk of renewable energy in this sector came from wood fuels used primarily for household heating, although wood fuel usage in households fell by 6.52% compared to the previous year.

Slovenia set the 25% target in 2009 in line with the EU Renewable Energy Directive and was to meet it by 2020.

Data from the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy show Slovenia achieved a 24.1% renewables share in final energy consumption in 2020, paying the Czech Republic €4.9 million for statistical transfers. In 2021, the share was 24.64%, with the shortfall again purchased from the Czech Republic for €2 million. In 2022, the share was 22.94%, with the deficit purchased from Croatia for €10.8 million.

The transfer is an accounting procedure and no energy in fact changes hands.