Renewable energy has long been used in South East Europe, whether as fuelwood for heating or in the form of hydroelectric power generation. More recently, governments from Slovenia to Ukraine have pledged to shift to renewables to replace ageing fossil-based energy installations and reduce carbon-dioxide emissions.

Renewable energy is a fundamental and growing part of the global energy transformation. Increasingly, renewables have become the first choice for expanding, upgrading and modernising power systems around the world.

The business case for off-grid renewables as a means to expand rural electricity access keeps growing stronger, thanks to steady cost reductions and technological innovation.

Ambitious national commitments, international agreements and rapid technological progress have prompted countries around the world to turn increasingly renewable energy to expand their power infrastructure. However, the variability of solar and wind energy – two key sources for renewable power generation – presents new challenges.

This field guide presents various methodologies for estimating biogas capacity, production and consumption. Such information can be integrated into national censuses, household surveys and energy surveys.

Latin America hosts some of the world’s most dynamic renewable energy markets, with more than a quarter of primary energy coming from renewables, twice the global average.

A Path to Prosperity highlights the role of islands in global efforts against climate change. The third edition of this compilation from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) marks the occasion of the United Nations climate conference, COP22, in November 2016.

IRENA’s Renewable Energy Innovation Outlook series analyses the emerging developments making renewable energy technologies (RETs) increasingly competitive in the world’s energy markets and systems.

The nations of Southeast Asia stand at a crossroads in terms of their collective energy future. Amid rapid economic growth, they face a 50% rise in regional energy demand within a decade. This brings challenges in supplying energy affordably, sustainably and securely.

Sustainable biofuels have an important role to play in Africa’s development. Sugarcane bioethanol is currently the most cost-effective commercial biofuel and has the highest energy balance. The bioethanol industry, like sugar production, has matured in technological terms.