Renewable energy commercialization

Renewable energy commercialization involves many different technologies, including solar photovoltaics, solar thermal power plants, solar heating and cooling systems, wind power, hydroelectricity, geothermal power, biomass, and ocean energy systems.^[2] Each is at a different stage of development, yet the market is growing for many renewables.

Renewables contributed 19 percent to our energy consumption and 22 percent to our electricity generation in 2012 and 2013, respectively. Both, modern renewables, such as hydro, wind, solar and biofuels, as well as traditional biomass, contributed in about equal parts to the global energy supply. Worldwide investments in renewable technologies amounted to more than US$214 billion in 2013, with countries like China and the United States heavily investing in wind, hydro, solar and biofuels.^[3]

Renewable energy resources exist over wide geographical areas, in contrast to other energy sources, which are concentrated in a limited number of countries. Rapid deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency is resulting in significant energy security, climate change mitigation, and economic benefits.^[4] In international public opinion surveys there is strong support for promoting renewable sources such as solar power and wind power.^[5] At the national level, at least 30 nations around the world already have renewable energy contributing more than 20 percent of energy supply. National renewable energy markets are projected to continue to grow strongly in the coming decade and beyond.^[6]

While many renewable energy projects are large-scale, renewable technologies are also suited to rural and remote areas, where energy is often crucial in human development.^[7] Globally, an estimated 3 million households get power from small solar PV systems. Micro-hydro systems configured into village-scale or county-scale mini-grids serve many areas.^[8] More than 30 million rural households get lighting and cooking from biogas made in household-scale digesters. Biomass cookstoves are used by 160 million households.^[8]

1. ↑ GWEC, Global Wind Report Annual Market Update
2. ↑ International Energy Agency (2007). Renewables in global energy supply: An IEA facts sheet Archived 2009-10-12 at the Wayback Machine, OECD, 34 pages.
3. ↑ REN21 (2014). "Renewables 2014: Global Status Report" (PDF). pp. 13, 17, 21, 25. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 September 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
4. ↑ International Energy Agency (2012). "Energy Technology Perspectives 2012" (PDF).
5. ↑ "Global Trends in Sustainable Energy Investment 2007: Analysis of Trends and Issues in the Financing of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in OECD and Developing Countries" (PDF). United Nations Environment Programme. 2007. p. 3. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 October 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
6. ↑ REN21 (2013). "Renewables global futures report 2013" (PDF).{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)^{[permanent dead link]}
7. ↑ World Energy Assessment (2001). Renewable energy technologies Archived 2007-06-09 at the Wayback Machine, p. 221.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} REN21 (2010). Renewables 2010 Global Status Report Archived 2010-08-20 at the Wayback Machine p. 12.