Michael Taylor

This report illustrates the progress achieved across a range of energy transition metrics and offers key recommendations to the G7 on how best to advance their aims and keep the world on track to meet the goals of COP28 and the Paris Agreement.

Despite the addition of a record 473 gigawatts of new renewable power capacity in 2023 – representing a 54% increase on that added in the previous year – the trajectory of global capacity additions remains below that required to meet the tripling… Voir plus

This report illustrates the progress achieved across a range of energy transition metrics and offers key recommendations to the G7 on how best to advance their aims and keep the world on track to meet the goals of COP28 and the Paris Agreement.

Despite the addition of a record 473 gigawatts of new renewable power capacity in 2023 – representing a 54% increase on that added in the previous year – the trajectory of global capacity additions remains below that required to meet the tripling target. Yet, whilst progress in onshore and offshore wind, hydropower, geothermal and bioenergy for power are all lagging, the welcome acceleration in solar PV means there is still time to accelerate growth in these renewable power options to ensure the 2030 target is met.

The G7 will play an important role in delivering on this global goal, both directly through the expansion of renewable power capacity within its members, and indirectly by leading action to address deployment and integration barriers, and supporting emerging and developing economies (EMDEs) in delivering their contributions to the global tripling goal. Crucial enabling actions include grid modernisation and expansion, scaling-up electricity storage, unlocking low-cost finance volumes – especially in emerging and developing economies – and delivering the skilled workforce needed for the transition. Voir moins

This decade is critical to our success in limiting global surface temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels in accordance with the Paris Agreement. There is therefore an urgent need for rapid and immediate action to reduce global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 2030, with a significant proportion of this reduction occurring within the field of energy.

Yet, today, the energy transition remains off-track and global greenhouse gas emissions have reached record levels… Voir plus

This decade is critical to our success in limiting global surface temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels in accordance with the Paris Agreement. There is therefore an urgent need for rapid and immediate action to reduce global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 2030, with a significant proportion of this reduction occurring within the field of energy.

Yet, today, the energy transition remains off-track and global greenhouse gas emissions have reached record levels. IRENA’s World Energy Transitions Outlook 2023: 1.5°C pathway concludes that a significant acceleration in the deployment of renewable energy, energy storage and renewable fuels, coupled with tangible progress in energy efficiency and electrification of end-use sectors, are required to put the world back on course to meet global climate goals.

This report outlines the crucial need to agree global targets to triple renewable power generation capacity and double the energy efficiency improvement rate by 2030 at COP28. It consolidates high-level analysis of these targets, detailing existing shortfalls and identifying key enablers to resolve them. It represents global perspectives within the renewable energy and climate change space, with the COP28 Presidency, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the Global Renewables Alliance (GRA) uniting to provide concrete recommendations on the means to meet these renewable power and energy efficiency targets. Voir moins

In 2022, the global weighted average levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) from newly commissioned utility-scale solar photovoltaics (PV), onshore wind, concentrating solar power (CSP), bioenergy and geothermal energy all fell, despite rising materials and equipment costs.

For newly commissioned onshore wind projects, the global weighted average LCOE fell by 5% between 2021 and 2022, from USD 0.035/kWh to USD 0.033/kWh; whilst for utility‑scale solar PV projects, it decreased by 3%… Voir plus

In 2022, the global weighted average levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) from newly commissioned utility-scale solar photovoltaics (PV), onshore wind, concentrating solar power (CSP), bioenergy and geothermal energy all fell, despite rising materials and equipment costs.

For newly commissioned onshore wind projects, the global weighted average LCOE fell by 5% between 2021 and 2022, from USD 0.035/kWh to USD 0.033/kWh; whilst for utility‑scale solar PV projects, it decreased by 3% year-on-year in 2022 to USD 0.049/kWh. For offshore wind, the cost of electricity of new projects increased by 2%, in comparison to 2021, rising from USD 0.079/kWh to USD 0.081/kWh in 2022.

China was the key driver of the global decline in costs for solar PV and onshore wind in 2022, with other markets experiencing a much more heterogeneous set of outcomes that saw costs increase in many major markets.

The economic benefits of solar and wind technologies – in addition to their environmental benefits – are now compelling. Owing to soaring fossil fuel prices, the 2021-2022 period saw one of the largest improvements in the competitiveness of renewable power in the last two decades.

In 2010, the global weighted average LCOE of onshore wind was 95% higher than the lowest fossil fuel-fired cost; in 2022, the global weighted average LCOE of new onshore wind projects was 52% lower than the cheapest fossil fuel-fired solutions.

However, this improvement was surpassed by that of solar PV. This renewable power source was 710% more expensive than the cheapest fossil fuel-fired solution in 2010 but cost 29% less than the cheapest fossil fuel-fired solution in 2022.

The fossil fuel price crisis of 2022 was a telling reminder of the powerful economic benefits that renewable power can provide in terms of energy security. In 2022, the renewable power deployed globally since 2000 saved an estimated USD 521 billion in fuel costs in the electricity sector. Voir moins

The need to scale up the deployment of technologies such as green hydrogen, energy storage and offshore wind has become increasingly critical to the success of the global energy transition and to meeting global climate goals. To this end, access to low-cost capital for project financing in G20 Member Countries and beyond is vital. However, this remains challenging – particularly amid the current global tightening of monetary policies – given that a substantial portion of the necessary… Voir plus

The need to scale up the deployment of technologies such as green hydrogen, energy storage and offshore wind has become increasingly critical to the success of the global energy transition and to meeting global climate goals. To this end, access to low-cost capital for project financing in G20 Member Countries and beyond is vital. However, this remains challenging – particularly amid the current global tightening of monetary policies – given that a substantial portion of the necessary investment in energy transition technologies has yet to be sourced.

This report, prepared by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in close collaboration with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) of India, aims to facilitate the discussion of this vital aspect of the transition under India’s G20 Presidency. The report offers lessons from historical cost reduction trends for solar PV and onshore wind technologies, enabling innovative frameworks that can adopted to accelerate the deployment of new and critical low-carbon technologies, and projected investment requirements for the global energy transition.

The report also highlights the need to mobilise the resources of the private sector, given the limited resources of the public sector; active private sector engagement is vital, particularly in offering low-cost capital for financing energy transition projects. The catalysing role played by the public sector is also discussed in the context of the need for deeper public-private collaboration on the journey to a net-zero future. Finally, the report stresses the importance of developing a better understanding of the key drivers of the cost of capital for different technologies and markets. Voir moins

The cost of capital (CoC) for renewable power generation technologies is a major determinant of the total price to purchasers of renewable electricity. Both reliable data, and a deep understanding of the composition of the CoC and its drivers, are therefore critical information. Crucially, even small differences in the CoC that are not properly accounted for can result in misleading cost calculations and lead to poor policy making.

This IRENA report presents new cost of capital data… Voir plus

The cost of capital (CoC) for renewable power generation technologies is a major determinant of the total price to purchasers of renewable electricity. Both reliable data, and a deep understanding of the composition of the CoC and its drivers, are therefore critical information. Crucially, even small differences in the CoC that are not properly accounted for can result in misleading cost calculations and lead to poor policy making.

This IRENA report presents new cost of capital data, obtained from an expert survey and interviews covering all major regions for onshore wind, offshore wind and solar photovoltaic (PV). The coverage of this survey is believed to be unprecedented in terms of its geographical and technological breadth; as such, the results may represent the most wide-ranging database on renewable energy financing available today.

The report fills a key information gap by providing greater understanding of the composition of the CoC and its drivers to assist policy makers in developing effective approaches to support the energy transition that reflect technology and country risks, and help support energy analysts/modellers seeking accurate cost estimates.

In addition to the report, the associated Data appendix features cost of capital data for solar PV, onshore and offshore wind for 100 countries, benchmarked from the survey data. Voir moins

If the world is to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, policy makers must address the challenges of reducing energy use and increasing the share of renewable energy in end-use sectors. Globally, the buildings sector accounts for around three gigatonnes (Gt) of direct carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per year, with electricity use and associated fossil fuel combustion for district heating raising that figure to 10 Gt of CO2 per year.

Electrically-driven heat pumps represent a solution… Voir plus

If the world is to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, policy makers must address the challenges of reducing energy use and increasing the share of renewable energy in end-use sectors. Globally, the buildings sector accounts for around three gigatonnes (Gt) of direct carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per year, with electricity use and associated fossil fuel combustion for district heating raising that figure to 10 Gt of CO2 per year.

Electrically-driven heat pumps represent a solution that can increase the share of electrification in buildings while also dramatically improving the efficiency of energy use for space and water heating - the largest sources of energy use in temperate and cold climates. However, data on the costs and performance of heat pumps has not been widely available to policy makers, researchers or other stakeholders.

This report seeks to remedy that knowledge gap and support better informed decisions concerning the role of heat pumps. It provides an overview of heat pump technologies and their applications; discusses building stock and the implications for the use of heat pumps in both new and old buildings; examines recent market developments and the acceleration in heat pump deployment – particularly in Europe; and offers a detailed review of cost and performance trends for heat pumps by technology, system size and - in some cases - dwelling type. Voir moins

IRENA’s cost analysis programme has been collecting and reporting the cost and performance data of renewable power generation technologies since 2012. The data and analysis is based on the the IRENA Renewable Cost Database that has data on around 21 000 renewable power generation projects from around the world.

The period 2010 to 2021 has witnessed a seismic improvement in the competitiveness of renewables. The global weighted average LCOE of newly commissioned utility‑scale solar PV… Voir plus

IRENA’s cost analysis programme has been collecting and reporting the cost and performance data of renewable power generation technologies since 2012. The data and analysis is based on the the IRENA Renewable Cost Database that has data on around 21 000 renewable power generation projects from around the world.

The period 2010 to 2021 has witnessed a seismic improvement in the competitiveness of renewables. The global weighted average LCOE of newly commissioned utility‑scale solar PV projects declined by 88% between 2010 and 2021, whilst that of onshore wind fell by 68%, CSP by 68% and offshore wind by 60%.

The global weighted average cost of newly commissioned solar photovoltaic (PV), onshore and offshore wind power projects fell in 2021. This was despite rising materials and equipment costs, given that there is a significant lag in the pass through to total installed costs.

The global weighted average levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) of new onshore wind projects added in 2021 fell by 15%, year‑on‑year, to USD 0.033/kWh, while that of new utility-scale solar PV fell by 13% year-on-year to USD 0.048/kWh and that of offshore wind declined 13% to USD 0.075/kWh. With only one concentrating solar power (CSP) plant commissioned in 2021, the LCOE rose 7% year-on-year to USD 0.114/kWh.

The benefits from renewables in 2022 will be unprecedented, given the fossil fuel price crisis:

- The lifetime cost per kWh of new solar and wind capacity added in Europe in 2021 will average at least four to six times less than the marginal generating costs of fossil fuels in 2022.

- Globally, new renewable capacity added in 2021 could reduce electricity generation costs in 2022 by at least USD 55 billion.

- Between January and May 2022 in Europe, solar and wind generation, alone, avoided fossil fuel imports of at least USD 50 billion. Voir moins

Clean energy technology innovation and research, development and demonstration (RD&D) plays a critical role in accelerating the global energy transition. IRENA has, for the first time, collected data on a range of quantitative innovation indicators on the costs and performance of renewable technologies, patents and standards; that provide a quantitative measure of innovation progress.

These indicators of innovation ‘outputs’ (i.e. new or improved technologies, processes and systems with… Voir plus

Clean energy technology innovation and research, development and demonstration (RD&D) plays a critical role in accelerating the global energy transition. IRENA has, for the first time, collected data on a range of quantitative innovation indicators on the costs and performance of renewable technologies, patents and standards; that provide a quantitative measure of innovation progress.

These indicators of innovation ‘outputs’ (i.e. new or improved technologies, processes and systems with lower costs), based on a methodology specifically created for the purpose, provide both qualitative and quantitative insights into the ways in which seven renewable energy technologies have progressed through time, either fully or in part due to RD&D activities.

This is a valuable resource for policy makers and researchers, given that the principal focus to date has been on gathering data on inputs into the innovation process (e.g. R&D expenditure). The metrics collected by IRENA open up the possibility of a much more rigorous comparative analysis of the relative performance of innovation support for different technologies. This could be a crucial support to policy makers, as insights from past experience can help inform innovation policy for the next round of technologies that need to be scaled up. Voir moins

Clean energy technology innovation – particularly research, development and demonstration (RD&D) – plays a critical role in accelerating the global energy transition. As this transition progresses and ambitions grow, the need for a better understanding of how Innovation drives impact is needed this work by IRENA looks at different metrics that can be used to track innovation progress.

The methodology analyses 30 indicators across three categories:

I. Innovation ecosystem with the… Voir plus

Clean energy technology innovation – particularly research, development and demonstration (RD&D) – plays a critical role in accelerating the global energy transition. As this transition progresses and ambitions grow, the need for a better understanding of how Innovation drives impact is needed this work by IRENA looks at different metrics that can be used to track innovation progress.

The methodology analyses 30 indicators across three categories:

I. Innovation ecosystem with the objective of an active, growing and broadening innovation ecosystem.

II. Technology progress with the objective of a continual improvements in technology in the form of declining costs, improving technology performance and a widening range of solutions.

III. Market formation with the objective of a growing and broadening market moving towards maturity.

The main output of the pilot is an online dashboard, which provides a visual presentation of indicators, showcasing trends and the geographical distribution of activities in offshore wind. Voir moins

The decade 2010 to 2020 saw renewable power generation becoming the default economic choice for new capacity. In that period, the competitiveness of solar (concentrating solar power, utility‑scale solar photovoltaic) and offshore wind all joined onshore wind in the same range of costs as for new capacity fired by fossil fuels, calculated without financial support. Indeed, the trend is not only one of renewables competing with fossil fuels, but significantly undercutting them, when new… Voir plus

The decade 2010 to 2020 saw renewable power generation becoming the default economic choice for new capacity. In that period, the competitiveness of solar (concentrating solar power, utility‑scale solar photovoltaic) and offshore wind all joined onshore wind in the same range of costs as for new capacity fired by fossil fuels, calculated without financial support. Indeed, the trend is not only one of renewables competing with fossil fuels, but significantly undercutting them, when new electricity generation capacity is required.

Costs for electricity from utility-scale solar photovoltaics (PV) fell 85% between 2010 and 2020.

In 2020, the global weighted-average levelised cost of electricity of onshore wind declined by 13%, compared to 2019. Over the same period, the LCOE of offshore wind fell by 9% and that of utility-scale solar photovoltaics (PV) by 7%.
Renewable power generation costs have fallen sharply over the past decade, driven by steadily improving technologies, economies of scale, competitive supply chains and improving developer experience.
The cost of electricity from solar and wind power has fallen, to very low levels. Since 2010, globally, a cumulative total of 644 GW of renewable power generation capacity has been added with estimated costs that have been lower than the cheapest fossil fuel-fired option in each respective year. In emerging economies, the 534 GW added at costs lower than fossil fuels, will reduce electricity generation costs by up to USD 32 billion this year.
New solar and wind projects are increasingly undercutting even the cheapest and least sustainable of existing coal-fired power plants. IRENA analysis suggests 800 GW of existing coal-fired capacity has operating costs higher than new utility-scale solar PV and onshore wind, including USD 0.005/kWh for integration costs. Replacing these coal-fired plants would cut annual system costs by USD 32 billion per year and reduce annual CO2 emissions by around 3 Gigatonnes of CO2. Voir moins

This report provides an overview of the development of concentrating solar power and its allied thermal energy storage, and its potential contribution in furthering cleaner and more robust energy systems in regions with excellent solar resources.

Increased uptake of renewables, energy efficiency and related energy-transition measures represent far-sighted investment amid the crisis set off by the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of short-term stimulus and recovery plans, the energy transition provides a crucial link to medium- and long-term global climate and sustainability goals.

This report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) offers practical advice on key investment and policy decisions for the crucial post-COVID… Voir plus

Increased uptake of renewables, energy efficiency and related energy-transition measures represent far-sighted investment amid the crisis set off by the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of short-term stimulus and recovery plans, the energy transition provides a crucial link to medium- and long-term global climate and sustainability goals.

This report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) offers practical advice on key investment and policy decisions for the crucial post-COVID recovery. It is rooted in the comprehensive long-term energy transformation strategy provided by IRENA’s first Global Renewables Outlook.

Among other findings:

-Post-COVID recovery measures could drive a lasting shift in the global energy mix.

-Linking the short-term recovery to medium and long-term strategies is paramount to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

-National and regional energy transitions can help to build resilient economies and societies.

-Energy transition investment can boost GDP and create jobs in the 2021-23 recovery phase.

-Green investment will be vital to mobilise upfront finance for the transition.

-Each million dollars invested in renewables or energy flexibility would create at least 25 jobs, while each million invested in efficiency would create about 10 jobs.

-Compared to current plans, an accelerated energy transition could add 5.5 million more jobs by 2023.

-Employment in all regions of the world, even where fossil-fuel jobs are now concentrated.

-Immediate investment increases could put renewable power generation on track to grow five times faster.

-Renewables, although affected along with the rest of the economy, appear more resilient than other parts of the energy sector.
Voir moins

This comprehensive cost study, drawing on cost and auction price data from projects around the world, highlights the latest trends for each of the main renewable power technologies.

According to the latest cost data from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the global weighted-average levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) of utility-scale solar photovoltaics (PV) fell 82% between 2010 and 2019, while that of concentrating solar power (CSP) fell 47%, onshore wind by 39% and… Voir plus

This comprehensive cost study, drawing on cost and auction price data from projects around the world, highlights the latest trends for each of the main renewable power technologies.

According to the latest cost data from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the global weighted-average levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) of utility-scale solar photovoltaics (PV) fell 82% between 2010 and 2019, while that of concentrating solar power (CSP) fell 47%, onshore wind by 39% and offshore wind at 29% , the IRENA Renewable Cost Database shows. Voir moins

Despite the prevalence of subsidies throughout the energy system, the sector lacks any systematically applied, standardised definition of what subsidies are.

This Staff Technical Paper contributes to ongoing research and debate on how energy sector subsidies are calculated and the impact of different methodologies and definitions. It highlights the difficulty of determining true subsidy levels, considers the various sources for such analysis and outlines key results.

The breadth… Voir plus

Despite the prevalence of subsidies throughout the energy system, the sector lacks any systematically applied, standardised definition of what subsidies are.

This Staff Technical Paper contributes to ongoing research and debate on how energy sector subsidies are calculated and the impact of different methodologies and definitions. It highlights the difficulty of determining true subsidy levels, considers the various sources for such analysis and outlines key results.

The breadth and complexity of support to different sub-sectors and fuels makes subsidies, along with unpriced externalities, hard to calculate in any case. Uncertainty about basic definitions only adds to this difficulty.

The paper examines recent estimates of total fossil-fuel subsidies worldwide, provides new estimates of support to renewable power generation and biofuels, and offers a first estimate of total global energy sector subsidies.

Finally, it outlines the possible evolution of total energy sector subsidies until 2050, based on IRENA’s analysis of a sustainable energy pathway consistent with the climate goals set out by the Paris Agreement. Voir moins

Renewable energy has become an increasingly competitive way to meet new power generation needs. This comprehensive cost study from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) highlights the latest trends for each of the main renewable power technologies.

Continuing cost declines, meanwhile, underline renewable power as a low-cost climate and decarbonisation solution. Within IRENA’s global database, over three-quarters of the onshore wind and four-fifths of the utility-scale solar… Voir plus

Renewable energy has become an increasingly competitive way to meet new power generation needs. This comprehensive cost study from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) highlights the latest trends for each of the main renewable power technologies.

Continuing cost declines, meanwhile, underline renewable power as a low-cost climate and decarbonisation solution. Within IRENA’s global database, over three-quarters of the onshore wind and four-fifths of the utility-scale solar PV project capacity due to be commissioned in 2020 should provide lower-priced electricity than the cheapest new coal-fired, oil or natural gas option, the report notes.

Among other findings:

-Onshore wind and solar PV power are now, frequently, less expensive than any fossil-fuel option, without financial assistance.
-New solar and wind installations will increasingly undercut even the operating-only costs of existing coal-fired plants.
-Low and falling technology costs make renewables the competitive backbone of energy decarbonisation – a crucial climate goal.
-Cost forecasts for solar PV and onshore wind continue to be revised as new data emerges, with renewables consistently beating earlier expectations. Voir moins

Recent data and research findings confirm the rapid capacity growth, ongoing cost and performance improvements, increasing technological sophistication and continued need for international standardisation for new renewables, such as offshore wind power and nascent ocean energy technologies.

This brief by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) provides background and recommendations to G7 policy makers on how to step up progress, particularly to broaden the world’s future… Voir plus

Recent data and research findings confirm the rapid capacity growth, ongoing cost and performance improvements, increasing technological sophistication and continued need for international standardisation for new renewables, such as offshore wind power and nascent ocean energy technologies.

This brief by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) provides background and recommendations to G7 policy makers on how to step up progress, particularly to broaden the world’s future energy options and meet international climate goals. It highlights opportunities, challenges and the vital need for international co-operation to spur the global energy transformation. Voir moins

Renewable energy has emerged as an increasingly competitive way to meet new power generation needs. This comprehensive cost report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) highlights the latest trends for each of the main renewable power technologies, based on the latest cost and auction price data from projects around the world.

Broadly, the study finds:

Renewable power generation costs continue to fall and are already very competitive to meet needs for new… Voir plus

Renewable energy has emerged as an increasingly competitive way to meet new power generation needs. This comprehensive cost report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) highlights the latest trends for each of the main renewable power technologies, based on the latest cost and auction price data from projects around the world.

Broadly, the study finds:

Renewable power generation costs continue to fall and are already very competitive to meet needs for new capacity.

Competitive procurement – including auctions – accounts for a small fraction of global renewable energy deployment. Yet these mechanisms are very rapidly driving down costs in new markets.

Global competition is helping to spread the best project development practices, reducing technology and project risk and making renewables more cost-competitive than ever before.

The levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) from solar photovoltaics (PV) decreased by 69% between 2010 and 2016 – coming well into the cost range of fossil fuels.

Onshore wind, whose costs fell 18% in the same period, provides very competitive electricity, with projects routinely commissioned nowadays at USD 0.04/kWh.

As installation accelerates, the cost equation for renewables just gets better and better. With every doubling of cumulative installed capacity for onshore wind, investment costs drop by 9% while the resulting electricity becomes 15% cheaper.

Solar PV module costs have fallen by about four-fifths, making residential solar PV systems as much as two-thirds cheaper than in 2010.

The IRENA Renewable Cost Database includes 15000 data points for LCOE from projects around the globe, representing over 1000 gigawats (GW) of power generation capacity. An additional auctions database encompasses over 7,000 projects with nearly 300 GW of capacity. Voir moins

Solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation has grown rapidly, from less than 1 gigawatt (GW) in 2000 to about 300 GW worldwide in 2017. Solar PV’s competitiveness against other sources of electricity has also continued evolving.

To track these crucial market trends, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has developed cost and competitiveness indicators for rooftop solar PV, based on the trends witnessed in key electricity markets. The indicators complement IRENA’s cost… Voir plus

Solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation has grown rapidly, from less than 1 gigawatt (GW) in 2000 to about 300 GW worldwide in 2017. Solar PV’s competitiveness against other sources of electricity has also continued evolving.

To track these crucial market trends, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has developed cost and competitiveness indicators for rooftop solar PV, based on the trends witnessed in key electricity markets. The indicators complement IRENA’s cost analysis, which helps to inform governments, policy makers, regulators and others on cost trends for utility-scale renewable power generation and other technologies worldwide. Voir moins

Battery electricity storage is a key technology in the world’s transition to a sustainable energy system. Battery systems can support a wide range of services needed for the transition, from providing frequency response, reserve capacity, black-start capability and other grid services, to storing power in electric vehicles, upgrading mini-grids and supporting “self-consumption” of rooftop solar power.

This report provides a comprehensive overview of the electricity storage technologies… Voir plus

Battery electricity storage is a key technology in the world’s transition to a sustainable energy system. Battery systems can support a wide range of services needed for the transition, from providing frequency response, reserve capacity, black-start capability and other grid services, to storing power in electric vehicles, upgrading mini-grids and supporting “self-consumption” of rooftop solar power.

This report provides a comprehensive overview of the electricity storage technologies available to meet a range of stationary applications. The report discusses the current costs and performance of these electricity storage technologies, as well as identifying the driver of future cost reductions and performance improvements to 2030. The report concludes by looking at market development scenarios to 2030, including the first global estimate of global storage capacity in energy terms. Voir moins

Africa has abundant renewable energy resources. Traditionally reliant on hydropower, the continent is turning to solar photovoltaics (PV) to bolster energy security and support rapid economic growth in a sustainable manner. With recent substantial cost reductions, solar PV offers a rapid, cost-effective way to provide utility-scale electricity for the grid and modern energy services to the approximately 600 million Africans who lack electricity access.

Based on the most up-to-date and… Voir plus

Africa has abundant renewable energy resources. Traditionally reliant on hydropower, the continent is turning to solar photovoltaics (PV) to bolster energy security and support rapid economic growth in a sustainable manner. With recent substantial cost reductions, solar PV offers a rapid, cost-effective way to provide utility-scale electricity for the grid and modern energy services to the approximately 600 million Africans who lack electricity access.

Based on the most up-to-date and comprehensive database of solar PV project costs in Africa, this report discusses challenges in policy making and proposes a co-ordinated effort to collect data on the installed costs of solar PV in Africa, across all market segments to improve the efficiency of policy support and accelerate deployment. Voir moins

Jun 2016
The Power to Change: Solar and Wind Cost Reduction Potential to 2025
Increasing economies of scale, more competitive supply chains and further technological improvements will continue reducing the costs of solar and wind power. The same factors will also boost the availability of these key renewable power sources at night and in varying weather conditions.

The competitiveness of renewable power generation technologies continued improving in 2013 and 2014, reaching historic levels. Biomass for power, hydropower, geothermal and onshore wind can all provide electricity competitively against fossil fuel-fired power generation. Solar photovoltaic (PV) power has also become increasingly competitive, with its levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) at utility scale falling by half in four years.

Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2014 reduces… Voir plus

The competitiveness of renewable power generation technologies continued improving in 2013 and 2014, reaching historic levels. Biomass for power, hydropower, geothermal and onshore wind can all provide electricity competitively against fossil fuel-fired power generation. Solar photovoltaic (PV) power has also become increasingly competitive, with its levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) at utility scale falling by half in four years.

Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2014 reduces uncertainty about the true costs of renewable power generation technologies, so that governments can be more ambitious and efficient in their policy support for renewables. As this comprehensive report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) underlines, perceptions that such technologies are expensive or uncompetitive are outdated. Voir moins

Advanced biofuels, electric vehicles and biomethane for transport could be competitive against fossil-fuel transport options by 2020 in an increasing number of market segments, as long as support policies are enhanced and expanded.

Dramatic falls in cost are making renewable energy competitive with fossil fuels across the world, and the least-cost option in a growing number of markets. Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2012: An Overview, covering around 8,000 renewable power generation projects, shows that the cost of renewables is continuing to fall. Renewables are increasingly the most economic solution for new grid-connected capacity, and where oil-fired generation predominates (e.g. on islands, off-grid and in some… Voir plus

Dramatic falls in cost are making renewable energy competitive with fossil fuels across the world, and the least-cost option in a growing number of markets. Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2012: An Overview, covering around 8,000 renewable power generation projects, shows that the cost of renewables is continuing to fall. Renewables are increasingly the most economic solution for new grid-connected capacity, and where oil-fired generation predominates (e.g. on islands, off-grid and in some countries), a lower-cost renewable solution almost always exists. Voir moins