National renewable energy markets are projected to grow strongly in the coming decade and beyond as shown by current policies & targets, and by scenario and expert projections. EU, US, Japan, China, India are well on their way into this future according to this new report by REN21.

The Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21), in cooperation with the Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies (ISEP), has released its annual "REN21 Global Futures Report (GFR)," which presents a range of expert perspectives on possible renewable energy futures. The report is based on interviews with more than 170 leading experts and 50 published energy scenarios. It contains chapters examining the future of renewable energy in the context of: total energy share by sector; integration between utilities, buildings, industry, and transportation; business models and investment; urban planning; national and regional policy; and technology, cost and market growth. The report finds a wide range of expert projections of the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix by 2050, with low estimates below 20% to high estimates upwards of 50-95%. Experts also expressed a wide variance in projections in the average annual investment in renewables in coming decades, ranging between US$300 billion to US$1 trillion, upwards from US$260 billion in 2011.

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