This report aims to inform discussions on the role of power system organisational structures in facilitating and accelerating the energy transition.

A transformation of power grids towards reliance on mainly renewable energy sources has begun. But the course of this transition is sure to vary depending on local conditions. The Age of Renewable Power, a report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), provides a framework for developing a national roadmap to guide each country’s power sector transformation.

This publication provides policy makers with a conceptual overview of the global transition to electrification with renewables.

This study analyses the prospective impact of renewable energy deployment, along with recently mandated changes to power plant cooling systems, on water use in India’s electricity sector.   

This report contains the latest developments and good practices to develop grid connection codes for power systems with high shares of variable renewable energy – solar photovoltaic and wind.

This report maps and categorises innovative solutions to integrate renewables. It brings together insights on key innovations to facilitate higher shares of solar and wind in the power sector.

This brief provides a high-level overview of priorities to accelerate technological and systemic innovation and highlights priorities for increased government action and international co-operation.  

This study highlights key pilot projects, showcases innovative solutions and provides insights based on Sweden’s experience with the transition to 100% renewable power.

This outlook highlights climate-safe investment options until 2050, policies for transition and specific regional challenges. It also explores options to eventually cut emissions to zero.

This report examines markets in Denmark, Germany and China. The analysis highlights the development of standards and the best practices for new markets to adopt. 

This report examines ways for G20 countries to decarbonise their electricity systems by integrating high shares of solar and wind power.

Renewables could meet more than one-third of energy demand across Central and South-Eastern Europe cost effectively by 2030 with key decisions taken now.

This report, a joint study between IRENA and the Korea Energy Economics Institute (KEEI), provides new perspectives on the interconnection potential in Northeast Asia and valuable insights for policy makers and key stakeholders.

This first-of-its-kind analysis, undertaken jointly by IRENA and the State Grid Corporation of China, reflects findings from their forthcoming “Electrification with Renewables” scoping study.

This report provides a comprehensive pathway for the development of a sustainable and cleaner regional energy system.

This report details a comprehensive pathway for the development of a sustainable and cleaner regional energy system for ASEAN.

Solar and wind power continue expanding, constituting almost 40% of newly installed power capacity worldwide in 2014.

The report highlights the importance of sector coupling as a key source of flexibility that cities can explore to stabilise power grid operations when integrating high shares of variable renewable energy sources.

The steady growth of renewable energy technologies and cost-competitiveness of solar and wind power call for a smarter approach to power-grid management. This working paper from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) provides a technical overview of smart-grid technologies as a way to accommodate larger shares of renewable energy in the electricity sector.

Increasing the share of renewable power from variable sources, namely solar and wind energy, requires technological developments to be accompanied by well-designed regulations for grid management and operation.

This outlook shows how through smart charging EV batteries can help to integrate high shares of solar and wind power into existing grids, as battery storage capacity helps to even out the variability of these sources.

The transition to renewable-based, energy-efficient heating and cooling could follow several possible pathways. This report outlines the infrastructure and policies needed.

Patent information can provide valuable insights on the renewable energy sector as new technologies arise and markets continue to evolve. Analysis of renewable energy technology patents, for example, can reveal: which countries and innovators are most active in inventing technologies; the potential markets where technologies need to be protected;

These briefs highlight ground-breaking ways to use distributed energy resources, accommodate uncertainty and reduce the need for grid reinforcement with rising shares of solar and wind power.

Data and research confirm rapid capacity growth, cost and performance improvements, increasing technological sophistication and the need for standardisation to expand offshore wind and ocean energy.