This is the first version of an ongoing project in which I

• examine the development of renewable energy in Finland.
• compare various methods of producing clean energy
• assess Finland’s progress relative to other countries.

The aim is to evaluate Finland’s overall performance, benchmark it against other nations, and analyze the development over time using time-series analysis.

I conducted a limited exploratory data analysis (EDA), sourcing data from various platforms.

• Statistics Finland (Tilastokeskus) provided solid data for Finland but lacked comparable data for other countries.
• On Kaggle, I found an OECD-based dataset, but it only extended to 2015.
• Additionally, OECD’s proprietary datasets were too expensive for a personal project like this.

Our World in Data offered a comprehensive dataset with the very valuable per capita metrics, allowing for direct comparisons without the need to align multiple datasets manually. This resource significantly streamlined the process, as all the data required for this first iteration of the project was neatly compiled in a single CSV file. Fantastic work from Our World in Data!

These explorations build on the findings presented in the Our World in Data post by providing a specific focus on Finland and aggregating renewable energy sources into a single value for comparisons with other energy forms.

The graphs and datasets from Our World in Data can be found here. I accessed the data on 07.01.2025. Do check the excellent overall article as well.

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Analysis and Visualizations

First Graph: Renewable Energy Consumption in Finland

This graph highlights the development of renewable energy consumption in Finland. The dataset starts from 1990 to increase readibility, as solar and wind energy were nearly non-existent prior to the early 2000s. This restriction provides a better view of the development.

Key takeaways:

• Hydropower was consistently the main source of clean energy in Finland until 2023, when it was matched by wind energy.
• Other renewables did reach hydro's levels earlier than wind but their development has since stablilized, and have been sometimes again lower compared to hydro.
• The linear trendline for hydropower indicates a gradual decline over this period.
• Solar energy remains almost negligible in Finland compared to other renewable energy sources.
• Wind power has shown exponential-style growth over the past decade.

Article continues after the graphs.

Second Graph: Renewable vs. Other Energy Forms

This graph compares aggregated renewable energy consumption to other energy sources, starting from 1970 to improve readability (e.g., nuclear energy began in 1976, and gas in 1974).

Key takeaways:

• Renewable energy has recently surpassed oil as Finland's most important energy source.
• Oil consumption has experienced a steady decline since 1970.
• Nuclear energy has seen significant growth in recent years.

Third Graph: Renewable Energy Consumption per Capita

This graph compares renewable energy consumption per capita across countries and entities. The dataset begins in 1965, as aggregate numbers become meaningful from this point onward.

Key takeaways:

• Finland is well above average when compared to many peers and entities such as the EU and the global average.
• Finland’s high per capita numbers since the 1960s are primarily driven by hydropower.
• Including countries like Norway or Iceland in this analysis would skew the results, as their renewable energy consumption dwarfs that of other nations. Hence, they are not suitable comparison points.
• The graph presented here is a screenshot from Excel, where I created an interactive chart with a pivot table and slicer. I also experimented with slicer designs for improved usability.

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Next Steps

1. Analyze projections for new renewable energy installations, estimating how much production could increase and identifying the most promising technologies and methods for Finland's specific energy generation capabilities.
2. Build regression models (linear, polynomial, and others) based on the data to forecast future trends.
3. Compare the current dataset with data from Statistics Finland to assess consistency and fill gaps.
4. Develop cost vs. energy production models for different renewable technologies to evaluate their economic feasibility.

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