SP & PT versions under construction
Renewables
Energy autonomy within everyone's reach, anywhere
"Only renewables are truly sustainable; that’s why the future belongs to them"
Available in all countries, renewable (REN) energy sources (RES) are at the center of the energy transition. RES growth is being boosted as countries seek to strengthen energy security: yes, energy security, not climate change, is driving clean energy investments [1].
Energy markets & policies have changed as a result of the Russo-Ukrainian (and now the Palestinian-Israeli) conflict, not just for the time being, but for decades to come, encouraging countries to increasingly turn to RES to reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels [2].
Dispatchable or not
Dammed hydro power and biomass (biofuels) are examples of dispatchable (controllable) RES. In turn, variable renewable energy (VRE) sources, such as solar & wind, varies according to the weather conditions and may require a form of energy storage (ES), in special BESS (Battery Energy Storage Systems).
Cheapest for electricity
Utility-scale solar PV and onshore wind are now the cheapest options for new electricity generation in a significant majority of countries worldwide. Driven by the falling costs of BESS (utility-scale systems now approaching ~USD 200/kWh), these intermittent sources can now be reliably integrated into the grid.
Now lead global power gen
Renewables have now overtaken coal as the largest source of global electricity generation. In 2025, renewables accounted for about 34% of global electricity generation, compared with about 33% for coal (the world's largest single source of electricity gen), according to Ember [3]. Solar PV and wind alone reached approximately 17% of global generation. The IEA estimates that around 80% of global solar and wind generation now has a levelized cost of electricity below that of coal or gas.
​
Transmission infrastructure
Increased RES penetration & electrification are driving changes to modernize power grids. Transmission is the biggest bottleneck in the power sector today, forcing grid operators to curtail renewables from one location and dispatch higher cost power from elsewhere [WM, 2023].
Grid codes
Grid codes play a critical role in the integration of REN and inverter-based resources. Beyond defining minimum technical and operational requirements for grid connection, such as voltage & frequency stability, fault ride-through capability, and reactive power support, modern grid codes increasingly require REN to provide active system services, including fast frequency response, synthetic inertia, and advanced voltage control, ensuring system reliability in high-penetration scenarios [4]. By complying with these rules, power plants ensure system stability when connected to the grid.
Energy storage
Energy storage (ES) have an important role in getting RES more predictable. ES solves the intermittent problem by storing extra energy produced by wind or solar gen units for later use. For additional information, please read Article #4 (Energy storage: a perfect partner for solar PV). ES, grid-forming inverter (GFM), and digital control can strengthen operating grids, contributing to a large RES hosting.
Main projections: (more accurate results can be found here)
-
REN capacity increased by 15.5% in 2025 with 692 GW of new capacity added, lifting global installed renewable capacity to 5.15 TW.
-
Solar PV remained the main driver of expansion, accounting for approximately 74% of new REN capacity in 2025, with around 510 GW (IEA-PVPS: 608-698 GW) added globally and cumulative installed PV capacity approaching 2.4 TW (IEA-PVPS: ~3 TW).
-
Wind added 165 GW of new capacity in 2025, lifting global installed wind capacity to approximately 1.3 TW.
-
Utility-scale projects continued to account for a major share of solar PV deployment, supported by policy frameworks, competitive auctions and large-scale investment, particularly in China and Europe.
-
Under IRENA’s 1.5°C Scenario, renewables are projected to provide 91% of global electricity generation by 2050, with solar PV and wind together accounting for about 70% of generation [IRENA, 2024].
References
[2] https://www.iea.org/reports/world-energy-outlook-2022
[3] https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/global-electricity-review-2026
The world is oversaturated with information: here you will find tech info placed in a simple yet relevant and straightforward aiming to de-risk your energy business.