Environment & Energy

Ghost Dog

(16,881 posts) Thu Jan 24, 2013, 11:20 AM Jan 2013

Renewable Energy Revolution: Declining Costs, Surging Capacity [View all]

January 24, 2013

The renewable energy revolution is under way. Renewable power generation now accounts for around 50% of all new power generation capacity installed worldwide.

The combination of rapid deployment and high learning rates for technology “has produced a virtuous circle that is leading to significant cost declines and is helping fuel a renewable revolution,” according to a new global study of renewable power generation costs in 2012 produced by IRENA, the International Renewable Energy Agency, which announced it is establishing its global headquarters in the United Arab Emirates during last week’s Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.

Additions to global wind power generation capacity totalled 41 gigawatts (GW) in 2011, according to IRENA’s “Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2012: An Overview.” That’s in addition to 30 GW of new solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity generation capacity, 25 GW of hydro power, 6 GW of biomass, 0.5 GW of concentrated solar power (CSP), and 0.1 GW of new geothermal power capacity.

“Renewable technologies are now the most economic solution for new capacity in an increasing number of countries and regions,” IRENA concluded upon analyzing the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) among the some 8,000 renewable power projects in its database and related literature...

Clean Technica (http://s.tt/1ySx9)
Read more at http://cleantechnica.com/2013/01/24/renewable-energy-revolution-declining-costs-surging-capacity/#hKAKybxAEug8XQdS.99

“Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2012: An Overview.” (.pdf) : http://www.irena.org/DocumentDownloads/Publications/Renewable%20Generation%20Costs%202012.pdf

28 replies

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Renewable Energy Revolution: Declining Costs, Surging Capacity [View all] Ghost Dog Jan 2013 OP

K&R jpak Jan 2013 #1

K&R daleanime Jan 2013 #2

�Renewable power generation now accounts for around 50% of all new power generation capacity�� OKIsItJustMe Jan 2013 #3

Does it? NoOneMan Jan 2013 #4

Even if we manage to reduce the carbon intensity of our energy supply GliderGuider Jan 2013 #5

Or, quite simply, we get off of our butts and do something about it OKIsItJustMe Jan 2013 #8

Do your best! GliderGuider Jan 2013 #17

EROEI below 5:1 Terry in Austin Jan 2013 #25

Try this: GliderGuider Jan 2013 #27

Yes, it does say something� OKIsItJustMe Jan 2013 #7

I don't care. Its irrelevant NoOneMan Jan 2013 #9

No, you choose to claim it is irrelevant OKIsItJustMe Jan 2013 #10

This message was self-deleted by its author NoOneMan Jan 2013 #11

If aggregate emissions continue to increase, nothing else matters. Nothing. Nada. Zilch NoOneMan Jan 2013 #12

�We start when aggregate emissions begin to drop.� OKIsItJustMe Jan 2013 #13

No, we are kicking the can down the road and further screwing our situation NoOneMan Jan 2013 #14

I agree, we delayed acting for too long OKIsItJustMe Jan 2013 #15

Actually 0% *could* work. You are looking at this incorrectly NoOneMan Jan 2013 #16

That may be the wrong question. GliderGuider Jan 2013 #18

Its a rhetorical question NoOneMan Jan 2013 #23

It's the only sensible conclusion one could come to. GliderGuider Jan 2013 #24

In truth, a 0 carbon emissions level is not enough OKIsItJustMe Jan 2013 #19

"We both know that is not going to happen" NoOneMan Jan 2013 #22

What's the assumed capacity factor? GliderGuider Jan 2013 #6

There has to be an energy-efficiency factor too. Ghost Dog Jan 2013 #20

Oh, it's all good GliderGuider Jan 2013 #21

This message was deleted by the cat on the keyboard. n/t 2on2u Jan 2013 #26

Keyboard Cats, huh? Ghost Dog Jan 2013 #28