IRENA Demystifies Renewable Energy Costs
Newsletter
First-of-its-kind web portal launched by International Renewable Energy Agency
On the occasion of the sixth meeting of its Council in Abu Dhabi, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) yesterday launched a unique web portal dedicated to renewable energy cost analysis. The portal provides access to IRENA’s data and analysis free to users.
“IRENA has developed the most current and comprehensive global database of renewable energy project available to the public. Our new portal makes this resource available for policy makers, businesses and the renewable energy community worldwide,” said Dolf Gielen, Director of the IRENA Innovation and Technology Centre in Bonn, Germany, and project leader for this initiative.
“The data shows that the costs of renewable energy are declining, sometimes rapidly. Investment and policy decisions can now be based on the latest, verified data from a trusted source,” added Mr Gielen. “Recent cost reductions, notably for solar photovoltaics, have profound implications for social and economic development opportunities and for millions of people’s aspirations for a better life. On economic grounds, their access to modern energy should be renewable based,” he said.
The new portal showcases IRENA’s position as the global source for cost and performance data of all renewable energy technologies. The web portal makes the latest and best data, as well as the Agency’s analysis, publications, presentations and charts accessible to the public. It provides an important service for the further development of renewable energy globally. Often, the lack of up-to-date, accurate and reliable data on cost and performance was seen as a barrier to the uptake of renewable energy technologies. IRENA’s new web portal is ensuring that this will not be the case in the future and the debate about the role of renewable energy technologies in the energy sector can be based on the facts.
The portal is accessible to the public, free for all users.
IRENA holds its sixth Council meeting in Abu Dhabi today an tomorrow. The meeting is attended by representatives of 21 IRENA Members, elected for a two-year term on a rotating basis. IRENA’s Council is accountable to IRENA’s Assembly, which will be held in Abu Dhabi on January 18 and 19, kicking off the annual Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.
