This working paper is part of a set of five reports on hydropower, wind, biomass, concentrating solar power and solar pholtovoltaics that address the current costs of these key renewable power technology options. 

This white paper, developed by the IRENA Coalition for Action, analyses 11 renewable energy initiatives from across the world, showcasing ways in which communities actively participate in energy decision making bringing socio-economic impacts to societies.

The potential of oceans as an energy source is staggering – more than sufficient to meet global electricity demand well into the future. Ocean resources vary from tidal currents and waves, to temperature and salinity gradients.

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and Sweden’s Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) have examined the potential for renewable power generation based on resource availability all over Africa.

This report is the first-ever projection of PV panel waste volumes to 2050. It highlights that recycling or repurposing solar PV panels at the end of their roughly 30-year lifetime can unlock an estimated stock of 78 million tonnes of raw materials and other valuable components globally by 2050.

This collection aims to provide a reference for policy makers and practitioners working to scale up bioenergy in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa. Energy, agriculture, forestry, environment, finance and business experts all seek for solutions to provide energy and also enhance food security, social welfare and environmental sustainability.

Southeast Asia has considerable resources to produce liquid biofuels sustainably, using biomass feedstocks that would not cause carbon-dioxide emissions or interfere with food supply. This report offers detailed estimates of biomass resource potential for Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam. According to an IRENA assessment, advanced biofuels could provide as much as 7.3 exajoules of primary energy per annum in Southeast Asia by 2050, or half of the region’s total primary bioenergy potential.

The shipping industry plays a critical role in the global economy, carrying approximately 90% of the total tonnage of world’s traded goods. Shipping propulsion has changed radically since the mid-19th century, from the renewable energy of sail power, to the coal power of steamships, to the predominance of heavy fuel oil and marine diesel oil. But renewable energy technologies could transform the global shipping fleet again, at all levels and scales.

Transforming the global energy system calls for massive mobilisation of capital. This brief provides recommendations to harness institutional investment for renewable energy projects.

IRENA co-organised the International Off-grid Renewable Energy Conference (IOREC) along with the ECOWAS Regional Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) and the Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE), in Accra, Ghana, on 1-2 November 2012. This report presents the key findings and recommendations that emerged from the roundtable discussions during IOREC.

Power systems need to be increasingly flexible to accommodate rising solar and wind shares. This brief examines the uses of demand-side flexibility, outlines solutions to achieve these, and highlights examples in actual power systems.

This brief focuses on technologies for desalination based on the use of renewable energy sources.

This guide is part of a series prepared by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in the field of quality infrastructure (QI) for small-scale renew¬able energy technologies. Quality Infrastructure for Renewable Energy Technologies: Solar Water Heaters analyses the challenges and offers recommendations for developing QI for solar water heaters (SWHs), as well as highlighting the experiences of several countries in developing and implementing QI for SWHs. The SWH guide concludes by applying guidelines for incrementally developing QI to the particular case of SWH markets.

A practical guide for decision-makers and project developers on the available energy storage solutions and their successful applications in the context of islands communities. The report also includes various best practice cases and different scenarios and strategies. It is developed as part of the IRENA Renewables in Islands Initiative (IRII).

African countries need to meet fast-growing energy demand and extend modern energy services to more communities while also improving people’s health and ensuring long-term sustainability. The continent could meet nearly a quarter of its energy needs through the use of indigenous, clean, renewable energy by 2030, according to this report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

L’Agence internationale pour les énergies renouvelables (IRENA) vient de publier le rapport L’Afrique et les énergies renouvelables : la voie vers la croissance durable.

本手册主要概述为什么加速可再生能源的增长是对于未来气候安全的关键所在。

This handbook outlines the best practices to develop and implement Quality Infrastructure for solar PV and, based on case studies, offers quantified cost-benefit analysis for QI implementation at different stages of PV plant development. The data and analysis provides guidance for establishing proper QI mechanisms, showcased through successful experiences with utility-scale, distributed-generation and off-grid PV development in 11 countries. 

Energy transition investments in the wake of COVID-19 can pave the way for equitable, inclusive and resilient economies.

Este folleto describe por qué una adopción acelerada de las energías renovables es una solución clave para un escenario climáticamente seguro.

Cities have emerged as a key focus of global climate mitigation and adaptation strategies. This report highlights resource potential, targets, technology options and planning priorities.

This report provides the outcomes and key takeaways from the 5th International Off-grid Renewable Energy Conference and Exhibition (IOREC).

This report provides an overview of energy transformation and implementation progress in small island developing states (SIDS) for the year 2021.

This policy brief summarises common criteria and indicators that policy makers can use to conduct evaluations.

This brief examines tidal energy technologies, one of the key methods for tapping renewable energy from the world’s oceans.