Renewables now make up 30% of global electricity generation
Renewable energy, sourced from replenishable natural resources like sunlight, wind, and geothermal heat, is pivotal in electricity generation, heating, cooling, and transportation. It offers off-grid solutions for remote areas, produces minimal greenhouse gases, and enhances energy security due to its wide geographical distribution. As global efforts to mitigate climate change intensify, the shift to low-carbon energy, led by renewables, is accelerating. Technologies such as solar PV and wind are becoming cost-competitive with fossil fuels. Increasing the renewable share in energy systems involves electrifying heating and transport sectors, using biofuels, and deploying solar water heating, biomass burners, and geothermal heating. Achieving climate goals requires rapid renewable energy deployment across all sectors, supported by favourable policies and market conditions.
You can find further information below about the technologies, costs and current developments within each of the seven major types of renewables:
Learn more about renewables by reading our Energy Insights.
For the latest news and articles on renewable energy read New Energy World.
View our dedicated Collections on Hydrogen.
0.0 GW
of solar energy capacity was added in 2023 worldwide (Statistical Review of World Energy)
0million
jobs in the renewable energy sector in 2023 (IRENA)
0%
share of total primary energy consumption worldwide was from renewables in 2023 (Statistical Review of World Energy)
0million
households in the UK (or equivalent) were powered by wind energy in 2023 (RenewableUK)
What's new?
Power plant transformations provide a boost to the energy transition in Taiwan and the UK
16th July 2025
The first of three new gas-fired combined cycle blocks at Taiwan Power Company Nan Bu Construction Organization (TPC NPCO)’s Hsinta power plant in Kao...
US DoE report warning that blackouts could increase by 100 times in 2030 gets mixed reactions
16th July 2025
On 7 July 2025, the US Department of Energy released a controversial Resource Adequacy Report, in response to an Executive Order by President Donald T...
China launches first floating offshore PV project
16th July 2025
The 7.5 MW facility was developed with support from Shandong Province and the municipality of Qingdao. Built in a fully seawater environment, the proj...
UK government rules out move to zonal pricing for electricity market
16th July 2025
While zonal pricing would have split Great Britain into multiple regions to reflect local generation and transmission costs, concerns from renewable o...
Masdar-Iberdrola offshore wind partnership powers ahead after German project completion with €5.2bn UK investment
16th July 2025
The companies have announced they will co-invest in the 1.4 GW East Anglia THREE wind farm, located off the Suffolk coast in the UK, in what they clai...
Events and training
Level 3: Advanced Energy Manager
29th September 2025 - 3rd December 2025
This 9-day course is an advanced qualification aiming to support experienced energy managers to further advance their careers by gaining the skills an...
Level 1: Certificate in Energy Management Essentials - October 2025
6th October 2025 - 10th October 2025
About:This introductory 5 day classroom course provides a comprehensive, practical overview of the fundamentals of energy management, equipping p...
Maintenance Strategy Fundamentals - October 2025
17th October 2025 - 20th October 2025
In this 2 half-day training course on the 17 & 20 of October 2025, you will gain the fundamental knowledge and understanding to develop an efficie...
Technical guidance publications
EI 3590
SafetyOn 2024 Incident data report
June 2025
This report presents the analysis of health and safety incident data submitted by SafetyOn members and serves to highlight key risk areas that can inf...
EI 3584
G+ Good practice guideline - Governance of mechanical lifting operations in the offshore wind industry
May 2025
This new G+ good practice guidance aims to share, advance and encourage good practice for the governance of lifting operations in the offshore wind in...
EI 3586
SafetyOn Good practice guidelines: Welfare in the onshore wind industry
March 2025
The first edition of the SafetyOn GPG on welfare in the onshore wind industry is a resource for wind companies to adopt and implement within their own...
EI 3462
Wind Turbine Safety Rules Procedure 5: Temporary application of an alternative safe systems of work
February 2025
The Wind Turbine Safety Rules (WTSRs) are a model set of Safety Rules and procedures to help formalise a Safe System of Work (SSoW) to manage the sign...
EI 3582
SafetyOn and G+ workshops report: Electrical safe system of work
February 2025
SafetyOn and G+ have been working collaboratively with the EI to enhance safety protocols in the onshore and offshore wind industry through the Safe S...