A record number of solar panels, wind turbines, and other forms of renewable power have been installed around the world this year according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). It found that capacity from renewable energy is now predicted to exceed that of both fossil fuels and nuclear by just 2026.
So far in 2021, 290 gigawatts of renewables have been commissioned around the world. To put that into context, one gigawatt of power would power 10 million light bulbs. The amount of capacity installed this year is 3% more than 2020, which was itself a record year for renewable growth.
According to the IEA, 95% of the increase in global energy generation over the next five years will come from renewables rather than fossil fuels or nuclear power. More than half of that will come from solar power, nearly 30% will come from wind power and the remainder will be from other renewable sources mainly hydroelectric which uses the power of water in motion to generate electricity.
Renewables capacity is growing all over the world but it’s exploding in China, where they are expected to reach 1200 gigawatts by 2026, fours years ahead of their 2030 target. Meanwhile, India is set to double its capacity, setting it well on the way to a target of 50% of electricity to come from renewable sources by the end of the decade.
In the United Kingdom, the aim is for 100% of the country’s electricity to come from renewables by 2035. If we look at the real time power mix in Great Britain in 2021, 38% of electricity is coming from gas, around 2% from coal, 36% from renewables, 6% from biomass, and 10% is coming from nuclear.
The IEA says the growth rate of renewables capacity must double again if the world is to meet its target of net zero emissions by 2050.
