Continued Renewable Energy Growth

http://www.ren21.net/portals/0/documents/resources/gsr/2013/gsr2013_lowres.pdf

Global demand for renewable energy continued to rise during

2011 and 2012, supplying an estimated 19% of global final

energy consumption in 2011 (the latest year for which data are

available), with a little less than half from traditional biomass

ii

.

Useful heat energy from modern renewable sources accounted

for an estimated 4.1% of total final energy use; hydropower

made up about 3.7%; and an estimated 1.9% was provided

by power from wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass, and by

biofuels.

Total renewable power capacity worldwide exceeded 1,470

GW in 2012, up about 8.5% from 2011.

Hydropower rose 3%

to an estimated 990 GW, while other renewables grew 21.5%

to exceed 480 GW.

Globally, wind power accounted for about

39% of renewable power capacity added in 2012, followed by

hydropower and solar PV, each accounting for approximately

26%.

Renewables made up just over half of total net additions to

electric generating capacity from all sources in 2012. By year’s

end, they comprised more than 26% of global generating

capacity and supplied an estimated 21.7% of global electricity,

with 16.5% of electricity provided by hydropower. Industrial,

commercial, and residential consumers are increasingly

becoming producers of renewable power in a growing number

of countries.

Demand continued to rise in the heating and cooling sector,

which offers an immense, yet mostly untapped, potential for

renewable energy deployment. Already, heat from modern

biomass, solar, and geothermal sources represents a significant

portion of the energy derived from renewables, and the sector

is evolving slowly as countries begin to enact support policies.

Trends in the sector include the use of larger systems, increas

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ing use of combined heat and power (CHP), the feeding of

renewable heat and cooling into district schemes, and the

growing use of modern renewable heat for industrial purposes.

After years of rapid growth, biodiesel production continued

to expand in 2012 but at a much slower rate; fuel ethanol

production peaked in 2010 and has since declined. Small but

growing quantities of gaseous biofuels are being used to fuel

vehicles, and there are limited but increasing initiatives to link

electric transport systems with renewable energy.

Most renewable energy technologies continued to see

expansion in manufacturing and global demand during 2012.

However, uncertain policy environments and declining policy

support affected investment climates in a number of estab

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lished markets, slowing momentum in Europe, China, and India.

Solar PV and onshore wind power experienced continued

price reductions due to economies of scale and technology

advances, but also due to a production surplus of modules and

turbines. Combined with the international economic crisis and

ongoing tensions in international trade, these developments

have created new challenges for some renewable industries,

and particularly for equipment manufacturers, leading to

industry consolidation. However, they also have opened up new

opportunities and pushed companies to explore new markets.

Renewables are becoming more affordable for a broader range

of consumers in developed and developing countries alike.

Renewables are picking up speed across Asia, Latin America,

the Middle East, and Africa, with new investment in all tech

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nologies. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and

South Africa, in particular, witnessed the launch of ambitious

new targets in 2012, as well as the emergence of policy

frameworks and renewables deployment. Markets, manufac

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turing, and investment shifted increasingly towards developing

countries during 2012.

The top countries for renewable power capacity at year’s end

were China, the United States, Brazil, Canada, and Germany;

the top countries for non-hydro capacity were China, the

United States, and Germany, followed by Spain, Italy, and

India. By region, the BRICS nations accounted for 36% of total

global renewable power capacity and almost 27% of non-hydro

renewable capacity. The EU had the most non-hydro capacity

at the end of 2012, with approximately 44% of the global total.

Renewables represent a rapidly rising share of energy supply in

a growing number of countries and regions:

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In China, wind power generation increased more than

generation from coal and passed nuclear power output for

the first time.

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In the European Union, renewables accounted for almost

70% of additions to electric capacity in 2012, mostly from

solar PV and wind power. In 2011 (the latest year for which

data are available), renewables met 20.6% of the region’s

electricity consumption and 13.4% of gross final energy

consumption.

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In Germany, renewables accounted for 22.9% of electricity

consumption (up from 20.5% in 2011), 10.4% of national

heat use, and 12.6% of total final energy demand.

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The United States added more capacity from wind power

than any other technology, and all renewables made up

about half of total electric capacity additions during the year.
Further information in:
http://www.ren21.net/portals/0/documents/resources/gsr/2013/gsr2013_lowres.pdf