This summary provided key insights on cost trends for renewable power generation ahead of a ground-breaking series of comprehensive cost studies by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

Sustainable bioenergy could even out solar and wind variability and replace fossil fuels for industry, transport and buildings.

This publication aims to increase awareness, share experiences and lessons, and provide recommendations for expanding geothermal heat use in the agri-food sector. The analysis in this document suggests the following six broad critical factors.

G20 countries can work together to step up renewable energy development and drive an accelerated global energy transition.

IRENA's 10th Assembly booklet charts global advances over the past decade and calls for a new Decade of Action on renewables. Comparative graphs and data illuminate the road ahead.

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.

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).

Smart grid technologies support the creation of an increasingly flexible electricity grid, enabling the integration of variable renewable energy. They work by incorporating information and communications technology at all stages of power generation, delivery and consumption, improving reliability and service to end-users.

This report provides the most current, comprehensive analysis of the costs and performance of renewable power generation technologies available today (2012).

Advanced biofuels, electric vehicles and biomethane for transport could be competitive against fossil-fuel transport options by 2020 in an increasing number of market segments, as long as support policies are enhanced and expanded. IRENA’s costing study, Road Transport: The Cost of Renewable Solutions, finds an increasingly positive outlook for the use of renewable energy in road transport by 2020 and beyond.

This report provides a valuable resource for policy makers and researchers by collecting data on a range of quantitative innovation indicators on the costs and performance of renewable technologies, patents and standards.

IRENA's latest global cost study shows how the competitiveness of renewables continued amid the fossil fuel crisis and highlights cost trends for major renewable electricity sources.

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. 

Methanol is essential for the chemical industry. Largely produced from fossil fuels, it can be made from sustainable, renewable-based energy sources.

This report explores the options and actions needed to progress towards a decarbonised maritime shipping sector by 2050 identifying a realistic pathway to reach the 1.5°C climate goal.

This study examines the policy, regulatory, financial and capacity-related challenges to overcome in pursuing Lebanon's energy transition plans.

This report estimates the potential for green hydrogen production as a function of land availability, considering exclusion zones such as protected areas, forests, wetlands, urban centres, slope and water scarcity.

The competitiveness of renewable power generation technologies continued improving in 2013 and 2014, reaching historic levels. Biomass for power, hydropower, geothermal and onshore wind can all provide electricity competitively against fossil fuel-fired power generation. Solar photovoltaic (PV) power has also become increasingly competitive, with its levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) at utility scale falling by half in four years.

This technology brief from IRENA examines the multi-dimensional logistical challenges of establishing a steady supply chain for solid biomass.

Hybridising diesel mini-grids with photovoltaic generation can yield significant cost savings. This study compares the costs of diesel-only and hybridised mini-grids at seven sites – three in Africa, two in Asia and three in Latin America – and shows potential cost savings at all seven sites.

Electricity storage will be crucial factor for scaling up solar and wind power. Yet electricity markets may not account for the system value of storage.

The cost of electricity from renewable energy technologies has fallen steadily, and in some cases dramatically, in recent years.

The report provides insights on the country’s potential to adopt solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind power.

As Japan moves away from nuclear power plants, it has turned to renewables to diversify its energy mix. Auctions have emerged as a key policy tool for the transition.

This study presents options to speed up the deployment of wind power, both onshore and offshore, until 2050. It builds on IRENA’s global roadmap to scale up renewables and meet climate goals.