Marginal pricing wholesale power markets could produce significant barriers for the energy transition, and on their own do not appear to be appropriate organisational structures for renewables-based power systems.

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

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.

The report provides insights on various emerging offshore renewable energy technologies and their underlying potential. It also outlines a possible Action Plan for the G20 countries to drive offshore technologies closer to the commercialisation phase.

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).

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 identifies useful regulatory practices for the era of rapidly improving renewable energy technologies. It draws key insights from experiences with integrated resource planning (IRP) in South Africa and the US.

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

This study aims to estimate the potential for sustainable bioenergy production in Africa through such systems, based on the evaluation of yields for 15 short-rotation woody crops.

As the world strives to cut carbon emissions, electric power from renewables has emerged as a vital energy source.  Fuel needs for transport and industry, meanwhile, could be met with renewable-based hydrogen.

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 joint study looks at the potential for decarbonisation in the energy sector in G20 countries and around the world. Chapter 3, “Global Energy Transition Prospects and the Role of Renewables”, highlights findings from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

The Pan-Arab Renewable Energy Strategy adopted in 2013 represents a consensus across the League of Arab States on pursuing a sustainable energy future. The strategy calls for large-scale development of the Arab region’s enormous renewable energy potential, including resources for renewable electricity generation, by the year 2030.

This report finds the region has a vast technical renewable energy potential of 739 gigawatts (GW) with wind energy being the most abundant resource, more than 4 times higher than that of solar PV. By 2030, additional cost-competitive potential for solar PV and wind is expected to reach 620 GW.

This brief by China Water Risk and IRENA examines the expected impact of China’s power sector on water and climate in 2030. Building on plans announced at the COP21 climate change conference in Paris, and earlier analyses by China Water Risk and IRENA, it assesses the impact of different options for China’s power mix in 2030 on water use and carbon emissions. As the findings show, decarbonising the power sector through renewables would also yield benefits in areas related to water.

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 guidebook provides information for policy makers and examples of available tools and solutions to facilitate the use of low-temperature renewable heat sources in new and existing district energy systems.

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

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 report discusses the benefits of renewables-based adaptation and illustrates the importance of renewable energy within an integrated mitigation-adaptation approach to climate action.

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 guide from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) can assist in decision making and help to carry out successful technical planning studies on solar and wind integration into SIDS power systems.