🔎 What’s going on?
Global renewable energy capacity is set to increase by 50% between 2019 and 2023 according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
😎 Cool, tell me more!
Global electricity generation needs to rapidly move towards renewable energy if we are to limit global warming to 1.5°C - 2°C. The report predicts a 50% increase in capacity, about1200 gigawatts (GW) - that’s the same as the current total installed capacity in the United States. Let that sink in! 😲 Majority of this increase comes from Solar Photovoltaics (PV) (58%), 29% from wind (onshore and offshore) and the remaining 13% coming from hydro and biomass energy.
Solar energy can be powered by retail (your electricity provider) or distributed PV systems (such as panels on rooftop homes, commercial buildings and industry). Almost half the predicted increase in solar PV comes from distributed PV. This growth is driven by drastically reduced manufacturing costs for Solar Photovoltaics (PV) and wind energy. Whilst demand for these technologies is rising in fact, 40% of this demand is coming from China.
❓Why should I care?
25% of our global Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions come from the energy we use. That’s because much of the global electricity sector is still powered by fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas. Whether you realise it or not, each and every one of us vote every time we buy something - whether its clothes, food, water, experiences, and even energy. Every pound (£), dollar ($) or euro, we spend, is an act of intervention that can shift the status quo. Changing consumption patterns to drive an energy transition is possible.
🚦Where do we need to be?
At 100% by 2050. A major study in 2017 by Stanford professor Mark Jacobson et al. showed that it is technically and economically possible for 139 countries to be powered 100% by renewable sources by 2050. In 2018, the share of global renewable energy in electricity generation reached 25%.
👤What can I do about it?
Switch your energy supplier to a renewable energy provider today. The more consumers and businesses switch to renewable energy - it sends a powerful market signal to industry and government to respond to changing consumer preferences by increasing the supply of renewable energy.
Here’s a list of green suppliers in the UK: Bulb, Ecotricity, Tonik, Ovo Energy, Good Energy, Octopus Energy, Bristol Energy, Pure Planet, So Energy, Coop Energy, iSupplyEnergy, Solarplicity, Green Star Energy, People’s Energy, M&S Energy, Yorkshire Energy, Flow Energy, Ebico.