Renewable Energy Hits New Global High

Energy produced from renewable sources like solar and wind made up over 50 per cent of new electricity generation in both Europe and the US during 2009 according to new data that has highlighted the increasing importance of green energy in today’s world.

The same figures showed that more renewable energy was fed into the grid during 2009 than in any other year preceding it, pushing it to a new global high.

The data was released by the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (or, simply, ‘REN21’) within a report that has the support of both the United Nations and the International Energy Agency.

Renewable Energy Growth

In an editorial that accompanied REN21’s Renewables 2010 Global Status Report, the organisation described 2009 as ‘unprecedented in the history of renewable energy’.

Compared to some sectors of the economy which have declined, it stated, it’s notable that the growth of renewables has roughly mirrored that of years past. The growth of individual renewable energy forms was recorded as follows:

• Solar Photovoltaic (linked to the national grid) – 53 per cent up
• Wind power – 32 per cent up
• Solar Thermal – 21 per cent up
• Geothermal Power – four per cent up
• Hydropower – three per cent up

Global Renewable Energy

In numeric terms, this equated to a global renewable energy capacity increase of 80 GW worldwide. China alone contributed 37 GW of this renewable energy, the report stated, noting that "in 2009, China produced 40 per cent of the world's solar PV supply [and] 30 per cent of the world's wind turbines, up from 10 per cent in 2007.”

Simultaneously, however, China’s greenhouse gas output has also been on the ascent, with a growth in CO2 emissions that now sees it ranked as the most prolific producer of the gas, and the gap between it and the no.2 country widen.

As of 2009, the report said, at least 85 nations had established renewable energy goals – forty more than in 2005 – while a similar number had schemes in place that promoted renewable energy production, such as feed-in tariffs.

See also:

Renewable Energy Overtakes Conventional Energy