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This is a list of countries and dependencies by electricity generation from renewable sources each year. Renewables accounted for 28% of electric generation in 2021, consisting of hydro (55%), wind (23%), biomass (13%), solar (7%) and geothermal (1%). China produced 31% of global renewable electricity, followed by the United States (11% ...
Country / Dependency% Ren.Ren. Gen. (gwh)% Hydro100%15,81794.5%100%10,823100%100%8,96399.5%100%0.898.7%- Sweden. In 2012 Sweden reached their target of 50% renewable energy 8 years ahead of schedule. This puts them right on track to reach their 2040 goal of 100% fossil-free renewable electricity production.
- Costa Rica. In 2022 Costa Rica produced a whopping 98% of its electricity from renewable sources for over eight years in a row. In 2023 they will likely do the same.
- United Kingdom. How can we harness the power of the wind? Look no further than the UK. Currently, the UK is the global leader in offshore wind energy. It has more capacity installed than any other country, with offshore wind powering over 7.5 million homes.
- Iceland. The land of fire and ice has unique access to a range of renewable resources. In 2015 a combination of hydropower and geothermal power provided almost 100% of Iceland’s electricity production.
- Renewable Energy Generation
- Renewables in The Electricity Mix
- Hydropower
- Wind Energy
- Solar Energy
- Biofuels
- Geothermal
How much of our primary energy comes from renewables?
We often hear about the rapid growth of renewable technologies in media reports. But how much of an impact has this growth had on our energy systems? In this interactive chart, we see the share of primary energy consumption that came from renewable technologies – the combination of hydropower, solar, wind, geothermal, wave, tidal, and modern biofuels. Traditional biomass – which can be an important energy source in lower-income settings is not included. Note that this data is based on primary...
Breakdown of renewables in the energy mix
In the section above we looked at what share renewable technologies collectively accounted for in the energy mix. In the charts shown here, we look at the breakdown of renewable technologies by their components – hydropower, solar, wind, and others. The first chart shows this as a stacked area chart, which allows us to more readily see the breakdown of the renewable mix and the relative contribution of each. The second chart is shown as a line chart, allowing us to see more clearly how each s...
How much of our electricity comes from renewables?
In the sections above we looked at the role of renewables in the total energy mix. This includes not only electricity but also transport and heating. Electricity forms only one component of energy consumption. Since transport and heating tend to be harder to decarbonize – they are more reliant on oil and gas – renewables tend to have a higher share in the electricity mix versus the total energy mix. This interactive chart shows the share of electricity that comes from renewable technologies....
Hydropower generation
Hydroelectric power has been one of our oldest and largest sources of low-carbon energy. Hydroelectric generation at scale dates back more than a century, and is still our largest renewable source – excluding traditional biomass, it still accounts forapproximately half of renewable generation. However, the scale of hydroelectric power generation varies significantly across the world. This interactive chart shows its contribution by country.
Share of primary energy that comes from hydropower
This interactive chart shows the share of primary energythat comes from hydropower. Note that this data is based on primary energy calculated by the 'substitution method' which attempts to correct for the inefficiencies in fossil fuel production. It does this by converting non-fossil fuel sources to their 'input equivalents': the amount of primary energy that would be required to produce the same amount of energy if it came from fossil fuels.
Share of electricity that comes from hydropower
This interactive chart shows the share of electricitythat comes from hydropower.
Wind energy generation
This interactive chart shows the amount of energy generated from wind each year. This includes both onshore and offshore wind farms. Wind generation at scale – compared to hydropower, for example – is a relatively modern renewable energy source but is growing quickly in many countries across the world.
Installed wind capacity
The previous section looked at the energy output from wind farms across the world. Energy output is a function of power (installed capacity) multiplied by the time of generation. Energy generation is therefore a function of how much wind capacity is installed. This interactive chart shows installed wind capacity – including both onshore and offshore – across the world.
Share of primary energy that comes from wind
This interactive chart shows the share of primary energythat comes from wind. Note that this data is based on primary energy calculated by the 'substitution method' which attempts to correct for the inefficiencies in fossil fuel production. It does this by converting non-fossil fuel sources to their 'input equivalents': the amount of primary energy that would be required to produce the same amount of energy if it came from fossil fuels.
Solar energy generation
This interactive chart shows the amount of energy generated from solar power each year. Solar generation at scale – compared to hydropower, for example – is a relatively modern renewable energy source but is growing quickly in many countries across the world.
Installed solar capacity
The previous section looked at the energy output from solar across the world. Energy output is a function of power (installed capacity) multiplied by the time of generation. Energy generation is therefore a function of how much solar capacity is installed. This interactive chart shows installed solar capacity across the world.
Share of primary energy that comes from solar
This interactive chart shows the share of primary energythat comes from solar power. Note that this data is based on primary energy calculated by the 'substitution method' which attempts to correct for the inefficiencies in fossil fuel production. It does this by converting non-fossil fuel sources to their 'input equivalents': the amount of primary energy that would be required to produce the same amount of energy if it came from fossil fuels.
Biofuel production
Traditional biomass – the burning of charcoal, organic wastes, and crop residues – was an important energy source for a long period of human history. It remains an important source in lower-income settings today. However, high-quality estimates of energy consumption from these sources are difficult to find. The Energy Institute Statistical Review of World Energy – our main data source on energy – only publishes data on commercially traded energy, so traditional biomass is not included. Howeve...
Installed geothermal capacity
This interactive chart shows the installed capacity of geothermal energy across the world.
- Solar Energy. Solar energy has two primary benefits. The first is that solar systems do not produce air pollutants or carbon dioxide. Additionally, buildings and homes with solar panels have minimal effect on the environment.
- Geothermal Energy. Geothermal energy is produced using the earth’s internal heat energy to create steam through a series of wells and is fed to power plants to generate electricity.
- Wind Energy. Wind energy is typically used to generate electricity. In the past, windmills powered water pumps throughout the United States and supplied water to livestock.
- Biomass. Biomass is renewable energy derived from plants and animals. Sources for biomass energy can include firewood, wood pellets, corn, soybeans, animal manure and more.
100% renewable energy is an energy system where all energy use is sourced from renewable energy sources. The endeavor to use 100% renewable energy for electricity, heating/cooling and transport is motivated by global warming, pollution and other environmental issues, as well as economic and energy security concerns.
This interactive map shows the share of primary energy that comes from renewables (the sum of all renewable energy technologies) across the world. The share of energy we get from individual renewable technologies – solar, or wind, for example – is given in the sections below.
Aug 23, 2017 · Nearly 140 countries could be powered 100 percent by solar, wind, hydropower and geothermal energy by 2050, a group of researchers say. Such a future could also mean a need for 42.5 percent less energy globally, because the efficiency of renewable sources, the scientists and engineers claim.
