Renew Extra Weekly

Renewable capacity has reached over 2.5 TW globally by the end of 2019 , led by China at 759 GW and Europe at 573 GW, with the US at 265GW. In all, globally, renewables expanded by 7.6% in 2019, accounting for 72% of new energy projects. What happens next will depend to some extent by how the Covid-19 crisis plays out. In a new Renewables Outlook report, IRENA says that ‘the health, humanitarian, social and economic crises set off by the COVID-19 pandemic requires a decisive, large-scale response guided by appropriate social and economic measures. As countries consider their economic stimulus options, they must still confront the challenge of ensuring sustainability and strengthening resilience while improving people’s health and welfare. The need remains for an accelerated path to meet global climate goals through the decarbonisation of our societies’ . It suggests that recovery measures following Covid-19 could include items from the climate change response package: ‘fle...

A 100% renewable energy system enabling the EU to become climate neutral before 2050 is outlined in a Solar Power Europe/LUT report , with nuclear phased out by 2040 in one scenario. The team’s modelling suggests that it is possible for Europe to reach 100% renewables by 2050 in a Moderate scenario, and by 2040 in a Leadership scenario, with nuclear then phased out. The cumulative social, economic and environmental costs of achieving 100% renewable energy by 2050 in the Moderate scenario are put as 6% lower than the cost of ‘inadequate action’ in the less ambitious Laggard scenario, which reaches only 62% renewables by 2050, thus missing both the targets of European climate neutrality and the Paris Agreement. The report says ‘the 100% renewable energy system is primarily a solar story’, with solar PV reaching a massive 4.7–8.8 TW in 2050, depending on the scenario, supplying at least 48% of power in the Laggard scenario and 63% of power in the Leadership scenario . By 2050, the o...