The summary shows that in 2020, electricity production increased by 0.6% compared to the corresponding consumption last year. The increase was caused by climatic phenomena, some of which were unprecedented, the intensity of which offset the decline in the impact of the corona on electricity demand. The increase in demand in the domestic sector was about 7.6%; On the other hand, public trade and industry, which account for about 50% of total demand, fell by 6.3% and 3.8%, respectively.
The summary for the year shows that there is a decrease in the trend of electricity development from 2.2% per year to 0.6% in 2020, a decrease of 1.6%.
Yoram Cohen, CEO of the system management company: “It is precisely climate change that has affected electricity consumption, more than the corona. “Data from the company’s statistics unit show that in the coming years, global climate change will affect electricity consumption.”
The system management company, is a government company that believes in the planning, development and management of the electricity economy in Israel, has published a summary of the year 2020 in the consumption and production of electricity in Israel.
The data, analyzed by the company’s statistics unit, show two opposite trends that, according to Yoram Cohen, the company’s CEO, affected the electricity market in Israel. The first of which is the corona, whose effects on economic slowdown and consumption we still see, and were even expected. The second trend is climate change, which has increased the consumption of extreme heat waves seen in summer and the transition seasons – and made them even more significant.
Yoram Cohen, CEO of the system management company: “It is surprising to find that despite the corona and the long stay in homes – electricity consumption has risen slightly, but compared to recent years – there has been a decrease in growth rate compared to the past. The coming global changes in the climate will affect electricity consumption and, accordingly, have been addressed in demand forecasts and in the planning of the electricity sector. “
Bottom line, Electricity production in 2020 increased by 0.6% compared to 2019. The increase in production consists of an increase of about 1.9% due to extreme climatic events mainly in summer and the transition seasons, and a decrease of about 1.3% due to the slowdown in the economy as a result of the corona and recent closures.
The statistical unit of the system management company says that after deducting the effects of climate change and the corona, the increase in electricity production in the past year was about 2.2%, consisting of an increase of 2% as a result of population growth, and another 0.2% due to rising per capita consumption. In light of this, a growth of 0.6% means a decrease of 1.6% from the average growth which is a decrease of 1.16 billion kWh.
Divided by sectors, it can be seen that all sectors except the household and water sector experienced a decline in economic activity as a result of the corona, compared to 2019. The household sector increased compared to 2019 due to closures and moving to work from home and water sector due to increased pumping due to much precipitation in 2020.
Corona effects:
From a monthly comparison of electricity consumption in 2020 compared to 2019 shown in the graph below, one can see the declines in electricity demand that began in March as a result of the corona and the increases in September and October due mainly to weather changes. The peak of declines was in the second quarter of the year. In the same quarter, electricity consumption in the economy decreased by 6.5% compared with the second quarter last year. In November, there was a significant recovery, which was reflected in a decrease of only 1.8% in electricity consumption resulting from economic activity in the economy, compared with a decrease of 9.6% in the peak of the corona impact.
Impacts of climate change:
The company’s data show that in 2020 a number of extreme climatic events occurred, which affected the electricity sector. In May, a record high in historical demand was reached, reaching 13,850 megawatts, an increase of 15% compared to the peak in the previous transition season. This is because of a heat wave that lasted a week and was unusual in length and intensity. In September, a historic peak of demand was again broken, reaching 14,600, an increase of 8% compared to the previous summer peak. The heat wave in September continued throughout and caused a 13% increase in monthly electricity production compared to the corresponding month last year, despite the corona plague.
In the attached graph, you can see the minimum daily temperatures (in the winter months) and the maximum (in the summer months) in 2020. The temperature values that affect the demand peaks are marked with a dashed circle.
