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Renewable Energy Statistics

Renewable Energy Statistics

With increasing awareness about climate change and rising energy prices, many governments are looking towards renewable energy sources to maintain a clean power supply for their countries. There has been an increasing push towards creating renewable energy sources so countries can manage growth alongside a sustainable energy source. 

Globally, experts forecast an 8% rise in renewable energy sources between 2022 to 2023 (IEA, 2022). Along with legislation and political support, people can start implementing renewable energy sources in their homes to make a meaningful impact. 

If you are interested in learning more about this sustainable power source, here is everything you need to know about renewable energy statistics. 

 

The Future Of Renewable Energy 

Currently, there is an increasing push towards more renewable energy, with many governments increasing their funding towards these natural resources. Here are some statistics that highlight the future of renewable energy. 

 

  • In the UK, renewable energy capacity is set to increase by 30% in 2024. The majority of this capacity is set to come from offshore wind power (ECO ACT, 2022). 
  • On the other hand, the use of coal and fossil fuels is expected to decrease by 14% in 2024 (ECO ACT, 2022). This decline shows that governments are less dependent on fossil fuels than before and with more renewable capacity in the future we can expect this decline to increase further. 
  • The UK has set a new goal for wind power generation in 2023. The goal highlights 87% of wind power generation in the year that will be supplied to the national power grid (The Guardian, 2022). 
  • In Ireland, the government is working towards turning all grid energy into renewable energy. In Ireland, grid energy is expected to be 70% renewable by 2030 (SEAI, 2022).
  • 2023 will mark the continued growth of renewables. Many experts forecast high levels of technological advancements in key renewable industries (Think.ing, 2022). We more innovation, we can expect renewable energy to become even more accessible in the future. 
  • By 2023, the UK aims to generate 100% of its energy from renewable energy sources. This large-scale effort will decarbonize the region’s energy emissions. (SP Global, 2022). This goal would provide a more affordable energy source in the face of rising gas and electricity prices. 
  • Approximately 33% of the world’s electricity is expected to come from renewables by 2024. Solar photovoltaic is expected to take up almost 60% or 697 GW of this expected growth. (BDO, 2022). 
  • In terms of solar energy, this renewable source is expected to experience major growth worldwide. Many industry experts predict solar capacity reaching one terawatt of solar power generation by 2023. (BDO, 2022). 

 

Renewable Energy Statistics At A Glance

With governments advancing towards a net zero future, there has been an increased push to adopt renewable energy sources. Rising climate change corners have rapidly increased this desire to implement renewable energy sources. The current push towards this energy is at an all-time high due to a number of factors. Here are some important statistics that shine a light on the push for renewable energy.

 

  • The current global projections for renewable energy sources indicate a 30% increase since 2006. This figure is expected to jump even higher by 2030. (McKinsey, 2022). With these statistics, we can track the awareness and demand for renewable energy sources. Since 2006 there have been low levels of interest generated this type of energy however, in 2015, there was a boom in terms of demand for renewable energy. Since then, the need for renewable energy sources has been steadily increasing. With this demand, people can expect better access to renewable energy sources in the future. 
  • While there are multiple renewable energy sources, solar and wind take the lead in this category. Between 2006 and 2030, the demand for solar energy is expected to grow 30 times more. On the other hand, the demand for wind power is projected to be 4 times higher than the demand in 2006. (McKinsey, 2022). While the number on their own might not seem significant, they indicate a sharp increase in interest for wind and solar energy sources. When compared to demand rates in 2006, there has been a sharp increase in the need for such energy sources. This proves extremely beneficial for the fight towards climate change and the need for clean energy sources. 
  • In the UK, government legislatures aim for a net zero future by 2050. To reach this goal, the government is setting target providers so that all electricity comes from 100% zero-carbon generation by 2035. (NationalGrid, 2022). One of the best ways to make a real change towards reducing carbon emissions is by making large-scale changes to the energy infrastructure. With governments adopting renewable energy sources as one of the main power sources, people should expect better access to this power in the future. With more and more people moving towards renewable energy sources, we can expect a significant decrease in climate change. 
  • In 2020, renewable accounted for 29% of the electricity generated globally, with the majority of it coming from hydropower (16.8%). In total, a record-breaking amount of 256 GW of renewable power capacity was added globally in 2020. (C2ES, 2022). As mentioned before, the demand for renewable energy sources is on an upward trend; therefore, we can expect more and more renewables becoming readily available in the future.  
  • In the UK, 2020 marked a significant year for renewable energy. This year, the country’s electricity predominantly comes from renewable energy sources, with 43% of the power coming from a combination of solar, wind, bioenergy and hydroelectric sources. (NationalGrid, 2022).  With this statistic, we can see that the UK is making great progress on their goal towards a net zero future. 43% of the power coming from renewable signifies a promising path towards a 100% zero carbon future. 
  • In terms of numbers, the UK is close to producing its trillionth kilowatt hour of renewable energy since 1970. Even though it took 47 years (between 1970 to 2017) to produce the first half of the trillion, it will take only 6 years to produce the second of the trillion by 2023. (NationalGrid, 2022). The speed at which the UK is advancing towards more renewable energy is incredibly promising for the future. With this comparison between the years, we track the advancement towards cleaner energy sources.  
  • To understand the increase in renewables, it is also important to track the use of coal power. Between 2000 and 2021, the UK significantly decreased its coal energy usage. In 2000, coal energy produced 120 TWh of energy, but in 2021, only 6 TWh was produced (OurWorldInData, 2022). This chart shows us that there has been a steady phasing out of coal power in the UK. By following this trend, we can expect to see an even more steep decline in the use of coal energy in the UK.
  • Even in Ireland, there has been a steady phasing out of coal energy. In 2000, 7 TWh of electricity produced came from coal energy. In 2021, this number dropped down to 4 TWh. (OurWorldInData, 2022). Ireland has always produced a low amount of electricity from coal power; however, there is still a slow phasing out of this energy source in exchange for renewable energy. Even though the number itself is small, the downward trend indicated a promising shift towards renewable energy sources. 

        

Renewable Energy Statistics - England

  • By the end of 2021, England had generated over 83,090 GWh of electricity from renewable energy sources. This marked a significant increase from 2011 (17,869 GWh) (GovUK, 2022). In 10 years, England could more than double its renewable energy generation with various renewables. This highlights a positive trend that can be used to increase this total in the future further. With more innovative renewable energy technology, it is possible to increase the growth rate even more in the upcoming 10 years. 
  • The overall renewable capacity was up by 3.7 percent at the end of 2021. In England, this capacity increased from 47.9 to 49.7. (GovUK, 2022) This figure shows a steady increase in the capacity of renewable energy sources. Authorities must keep driving this number forward to increase England's demand for renewable energy sources. Since this region is densely populated, investing in a combination of renewable energy sources would be highly beneficial in the long run. 
  • In general, England performs much better than any other region in the UK in terms of renewables. England has the highest renewable capacity, accounting for more than two and a half times that of Scotland. The biggest contributors to this energy capacity were solar and offshore wind power. (GovUK, 2022). With this statistic, we can see that England benefits from solar and wind power, therefore, efforts should be made to increase the capacity of these energy sources. It is important to invest in high-quality and innovative components to increase the capacity of renewable energy sources. 
  • Bioenergy is also on the rise in England. Overall, in the UK, bioenergy experienced a 1.3 percent rise at the end of 2021. England contributed to 85 percent of this growth. (GovUK, 2022). Even though this is not a major increase compared to wind and solar power, it shows a potential area to invest in. in case of weather disturbances, bioenergy is an excellent alternative source for renewable energy. Bioenergy is also a great way to reduce carbon emissions from the environment. This energy source is highly crucial if the UK wants to achieve net zero emissions in the future. 

 

Renewable Energy Statistics - Northern Ireland

  • At the end of 2021, the overall capacity of renewable energy was up by 4.4 percent in Northern Ireland. (GovUK, 2022). The Northern Ireland region also saw a great expansion in their renewable energy capacity by the end of 2021. Their capacity had a slight increase compared to the renewables in England. This increase was due to more energy generation through wind power. 
  • Two of the major contributors to Northern Ireland’s renewables were onshore wind power and bioenergy. Out of these two sources, wind energy came out on top, with onshore wind power increasing by 18 percent in one year. (GOVUK, 2022). This increase highlights the importance of wind power in Northern Ireland. Increasing the number of onshore wind farms and adding more innovative engineering could further increase this capacity in the upcoming years. 

 

Renewable Energy Statistics - Scotland

  • The overall electricity generated from renewables in Scotland amounted to 27,530 GWh by the end of 2021. Wind power was the biggest power source contributing to this amount, providing approximately 19,890 GWh. (GOVUk, 2022). Just like other regions in the UK, Scotland should also invest more resources in improving its wind power farms as this will allow even bigger renewable energy generation.  
  • Scotland’s experienced significant growth in terms of renewable energy generation. In the second quarter of 2022, Scotland generated 36.2% more energy than in 2021. (GOVUK, 2022) With this figure, we can see that Scotland increased their renewable energy generation by almost fifty percent in one year. According to this report, we can expect this number to grow even more due to better wind farm infrastructure. 
  • Scotland has also experienced an increase in renewable energy capacity. This capacity saw a growth of 10.5 percent between June 2021 to June 2022. This figure is more than four times the increase in renewable capacity seen between June 2020 and June 2021. (GOV.SCOT, 2022). A significant rise in renewable electricity capacity is a great indicator of the effectiveness of renewables. This figure shows that improving the renewable energy infrastructure can lead to many benefits in the future. 

 

Renewable Energy Statistics - Wales

  • The overall capacity of renewable energy sources installed by the end of 2021 was more than double those installed in 2020. However, this installation rate is more than 90% lower than the peak rate in 2015. (GOV.WALES, 2022). Even though Wales has made a significant effort to implement more renewable infrastructure, the installation rate has dropped significantly. Governments need to prioritise these energy sources for a cleaner and carbon-free future. 
  • Despite the low rate of renewable infrastructure installation, the Welsh government is taking active steps toward improving its renewable energy consumption. The government has set targets to produce almost 70 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. 

 

Renewable Energy Statistics - Ireland

  • Renewables had a record-breaking year in Ireland in 2022. Renewable energy sources provided 53% of Ireland’s electricity in February of this year (GridBeyond, 2022). This figure shows a promising future for renewables in Ireland. Government should try to increase the capacity of renewable energy infrastructure to keep building on this momentum in the upcoming years.
  • Ireland has a large and growing installed wind power infrastructure. Wind energy will be responsible for 21% of Ireland’s electricity in July 2022 (ThinkBusiness, 2022). According to this report, we can see that wind power has major potential in terms of increasing the country’s renewable energy generation. Due to their geographical location, wind farms present a key investment opportunity for the government to reach its net zero target. 
  • Ireland is utilising various renewables to hit its energy targets in the upcoming years. This includes renewable transport fuel. Biodiesel accounted for 87.6 percent of transport’s renewable energy use in 2020. Bioethanol also made up 11 percent of vehicle fuel. (SEAI, 2022). This presents another way for governments to use more renewables and drive up clean energy use. In busy cities and regions with a lot of motor vehicle traffic, increasing renewable fuel use can significantly reduce carbon emissions. 

 

The Use Of Renewable Energy

Renewable energy is crucial for a sustainable and cleaner future. This energy source is far more beneficial than traditional power sources and can be used for several different things. Here are some important statistics that highlight the use of renewable energy.

 

  • In 2022, Wind power generated enough electricity to power two-thirds of homes in the UK. The combined energy from both onshore and offshore wind farms created 25.5 GW of electricity to power 19 million households a year (RenewableUK, 2022). With this statistic, we can highlight one of the most important uses for renewable energy. Renewable energy, especially wind energy, is extremely beneficial to power homes in the UK. With a more innovative wind power infrastructure, it is possible to power almost half the region’s households. 
  • Heating contributes to the world’s largest energy use, and this consumption is set to increase by 4 percent every year. To combat this consumption, modern renewable heating is expected to increase by one-third between 2022 to 2027. (IEA, 2022). Heating accounts for a large portion of the world’s energy consumption therefore, it is important to implement renewables in this area. The current rate of renewable heat is increasing at a slow pace so it is important for the government to put more effort into increasing renewable heat to meet the global consumption rate. 
  • For electric vehicle users, access to a renewable energy-powered charging station is beneficial. In many parts of the UK, the government is working towards turning all grid energy into renewable energy. In Ireland, grid energy is expected to be 70% renewable by 2030 (SEAI, 2022). With this form of energy being readily available, consumers can save even more on operational costs associated with electric cars. 

 

The current state of renewable energy is on an upward trend, and initiatives should be taken to ensure this positive trend. 

2022 has been a record-breaking year in terms of renewable energy use; therefore, government legislatures should build upon this and keep expanding the renewable energy infrastructure.