Renewable energy

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Renewables now make up almost 29% of global electricity generation

Renewable energy is derived from resources that are replenished on a human timescale; examples include sunlight, wind, rains, waves, tides, geothermal heat and biomass. Renewable energy is used in three main areas: electricity generation, air and water heating and cooling, and transportation. Renewables are also suited to provide off-grid energy solutions in rural and remote areas. The overall production and use of renewable energy usually produce minimal greenhouse gases and have the potential to significantly reduce air pollution compared to hydrocarbon alternatives. Deployment of renewable energy also has potential energy security benefits, with renewable resources spread over wide geographical areas.

In light of the current greenhouse gas-driven warming of the climate and the associated impacts, a global transition to low carbon energy is underway with renewable energy at the forefront. Related technologies are rapidly becoming more efficient and falling in costs; some renewable energy forms like solar PV and onshore wind that once depended heavily on government support are now at or approaching cost-parity with fossil fuel generation. Since most renewables produce electricity, increasing the share of renewable energy in the whole energy system can be achieved by electrifying the heat and transport sectors, in combination with increasing the proportion of electricity provided by renewables. Besides electrification, the transport sector can benefit from biofuels which can substitute for oil products. The heat sector can see further deployment of solar water heating, biomass-fuelled burners and direct geothermal heating. Renewable energy is expected to continue expanding its share in the energy mix, as costs come down, innovative technologies are commercialised, and environmental drivers strengthen. The EU has a target for 32% of all electricity to be generated from renewables by 2030. To meet these climate and sustainability goals, renewable energy deployment must accelerate in all sectors, enabled by policy and markets.

You can find further information below about the technologies, costs and current developments within each of the seven major types of renewables:

Learn more about renewables by reading our Energy Insights.

For the latest news and articles on renewable energy read New Energy World.

View our dedicated Collections on Hydrogen and Offshore Wind.

What's new?

MENA grows renewables by half but clings to ‘risky’ hydrogen and gas

20/09/2023

The nations of the MENA region are poised to gain considerably from a renewable energy transition and by some indicators, this transition may be just ...

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European Parliament backs plans to boost renewable energy and SAF uptake

20/09/2023

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) agreed to update the Renewable Energy Directive (RED), raising the share of renewables in the European Union...

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Europe’s largest concentrated solar thermal platform online

20/09/2023

Located at a packaging and materials production plant in Turnhout, Belgium, the newly commissioned CST facility features 2,240 surface mirrors, with a...

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Gone with the wind – fossil fuels lose ground in UK energy mix

20/09/2023

The study, from Imperial College London for Drax Electric Insights, has found that after more than a century of fossil fuels dominating the UK’s elect...

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First piloted flight of liquid hydrogen powered electric aircraft

20/09/2023

Four flights powered by liquid hydrogen were completed as part of the flight test campaign, including one flight that lasted for over three hours. The...

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Events and training

Level 1: Certificate in Energy Management Essentials - October 2023

02/10/2023 - 06/10/2023

About:This introductory 5 day classroom course provides a comprehensive, practical overview of the fundamentals of energy management, equipping p...

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Level 3: Advanced Energy Manager

09/10/2023 - 26/02/2024

This 10-day course is an advanced qualification aiming to support experienced energy managers to further advance their careers by gaining the skills a...

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Energy Sustainability Conference 2023

13/11/2023 - 14/11/2023

The Energy Institute (EI) Nigeria branch is proud to host another edition of the Energy Sustainability Conference (ESC). Energy Sustainability Confere...

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EI LIVE Using Reliability Centered Maintenance - December 2023

06/12/2023 - 07/12/2023

This 2 half-day virtual online training course will allow you to optimise your asset maintenance plan with Reliability Centred Maintenance (RCM), a pr...

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Technical guidance publications

Guidance on large-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) system design, development and operation

2023

Solar photovoltaic (PV), which converts sunlight into electricity, is an important source of renewable energy in the 21st century. PV plant installati...

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Waste to products – Technology and economic assessment (phase 1)

2022

This document is free to download for registered users.The EMG and Soil Wastes and Groundwater group (SWG) of the EI and Concawe have commissioned E4t...

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Research report: Application of life cycle assessment methodology to the understanding of the energy balance and efficiency of hydrogen value chain building blocks

2022

This document is free to download for registered users.This publication explores the efficiencies of the hydrogen energy system and quantifies the ene...

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EI 1533 Quality assurance requirements for semi-synthetic jet fuel and synthetic blending components (SBC)

2022

EI 1533 provides quality assurance requirements and recommendations for the manufacture of synthetic (jet fuel) blending components (in accordance wit...

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Design and operational guidance on cathodic protection of offshore structures, subsea installations and pipelines

2022

This publication provides guidance for the design and operation of cathodic protection (CP) on offshore structures, subsea installations and pipelines...

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Offshore wind collection

The EI’s Offshore Wind Collection was developed in collaboration with The Crown Estate. Through this collaboration, we are able to provide over 100 guidance documents developed by the Crown Estate and its partners.