This report examines misalignments between current structures, supporting policies for renewables, and requirements for the shift to mainly renewable-based power systems.

Solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation is poised to revolutionise the electrical system in countries around the world. From around 2% in 2016, the share of global electricity generated from solar PV to grow to as much as 13% by 2030, according to this report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). The solar industry’s expansion is driven primarily by cost reductions, with the report anticipating further cost declines by up to 59% in ten years.

IRENA’s working paper, Doubling the Global Share of Renewable Energy: A Roadmap to 2030, outlines the proposed process, and progress to date, of REMAP 2030 – IRENA’s global roadmap for policies and actions to double the share of renewable energy by 2030.

Liberalised electricity markets require timely adaptation to support higher shares of variable renewable energy and distributed power generation. This study presents the latest knowledge on the adaptation process for such markets, aiming to inform policy makers, regulators and system operators on the options available.

Irrigation improves yields, reduces vulnerability to changing rainfall patterns, and enables multiple cropping practices. This can stimulate socio-economic development in the agriculture sector helping the fight against poverty.

Renewable energy needs to be scaled up at least six times faster for the world to start meeting key decarbonisation and climate mitigation goals. Yet the envisaged energy transformation cannot happen by itself. This report identifies focus areas where policy and decision makers need to act.

With many economies facing slow growth prospects, policy makers increasingly see chances for greater income, improved trade balances, industrial development and job creation through renewable energy deployment. However, detailed evidence on these effects remains limited.

Djibouti faces critical challenges with power generation and distribution. Heavy reliance on fossil-fuel imports keeps the country exposed to price volatility, constraining economic development plans. But significant geothermal, wind and solar energy resources could be developed to extend reliable electricity supply throughout the country, meeting the twin concerns of energy access and energy security.

Increasing economies of scale, more competitive supply chains and further technological improvements will continue reducing the costs of solar and wind power. The same factors will also boost the availability of these key renewable power sources at night and in varying weather conditions.

This Roadmap report highlights key challenges and presents solutions to make Kiribati’s entire energy sector cleaner and more cost effective.

A Renewables Readiness Assessment (RRA) identifies the actions needed to overcome a country’s barriers to renewable energy deployment, with IRENA providing technical support and expertise to facilitate consultations among different national stakeholders.

This Commission Report analyses the geopolitical implications of the accelerating global shift to renewables. It is the culmination of deliberations by the Global Commission on the Geopolitics of Energy Transformation. 

This report addresses the specific conditions for policy making on renewables in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) across the Pacific region and proposes measures to support successful implementation.

This handbook introduces Capacity Development Needs Diagnostics for Renewable Energy (CaDRE), an approach devised by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) to help policy makers, organisations and capacity-development or renewable-energy practitioners shape an environment conductive to the development of renewable energy.

This Renewables Readiness Assessment from IRENA highlights the challenges and provides 11 recommendations to harness the potential of renewable energy sources in Belarus.

Low-cost renewable energy, especially from solar photovoltaic (PV) installations, has become an increasingly important part of West Africa’s electricity supply. This report outlines three broad scenarios for the growth of renewables in the region’s power systems, particularly in relation to key national and regional targets.

The municipal authorities for Zhangjiakou City, in co-operation with the China National Renewable Energy Centre (CNREC) and IRENA, have adopted an ambitious 30-year roadmap to phase out coal-fired power generation and scale up solar and wind power instead.

This study assesses the capability of the European Union’s Mediterranean Partner Countries (MPCs) to develop local renewable energy manufacturing industries, with a focus on three pilot countries: Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt.

This field guide presents various methodologies for estimating biogas capacity, production and consumption. Such information can be integrated into national censuses, household surveys and energy surveys.

This report outlines a planning approach to boost flexibility, specifically to accommodate the largest possible shares of variable renewable (solar and wind) energy sources. 

Assets like power plants can become “stranded” by unanticipated or premature write-downs, devaluation or conversion to liabilities. This will happen to some degree in the transition to a low-carbon economy. However delaying action to address climate change would result in significantly more severe asset stranding, according to this analysis by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). This raises concerns for investors and companies, as well as policy makers and regulators. 

This study assesses the potential for bioenergy production using various feedstocks such as sugarcane, oil palm, and municipal solid waste in six Caribbean small island developing states – Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Guyana.

This report, developed by the Ministry of Energy of the Kyrgyz Republic with the support of IRENA, aims to further support the country towards the sustainable development of the energy sector through increased deployment of reliable and cost-effective renewable energy solutions.

This Renewables Readiness Assessment (RRA), developed in co-operation with the Honduran Energy Secretariat (SEN), identifies key barriers and solutions to meet Honduras’ targets for renewable energy development and expansion.

This report builds on the analysis presented in IRENA’s World Energy Transitions Outlook to support energy transition planning and informed policy making in South Africa, and calls for a comprehensive policy framework that can advance the transition whilst safeguarding people, livelihoods and jobs.