Wind & Solar OECD Electricity Generation Grew 16% In 2015
Geothermal, wind, and solar electricity output grew 16% in 2015 across the 34 nations of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the electricity output from geothermal, solar, wind, and other renewable energy sources grew 16% across the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Specifically, the IEA includes geothermal, solar photovoltaic, solar thermal, wind, tide, wave, ocean, and other non-combustible renewable sources, but excludes large hydro (as is often the case).
Furthermore, the IEA noticed a 1% decrease in combustible fuels such as coal, gas, and oil, as well as combustible renewables and waste energy sources.
The share of OECD electricity generated from renewable sources rose to 21.5%, up from 20.6% in 2014, amounting to 776 TWh, up by 105 TWh. Wind grew by 77 TWh, while solar PV grew by 27 TWh. Production from combustible fuels accounted for 60.3%, with nuclear generation falling by around 0.5% with a total output of 1,878.9 TWh, down 9.4 TWh. Total OECD electricity production from combustible fuels was 6,189.6 TWh, dropping 0.9%, or around 56.3 TWh, compared to 2014. Total OECD electricity production from large-hydro in 2015 was 1,424.8 TWh, dropping 12 TWh compared to 2014, or 0.8%.
Unsurprisingly, there were individual highlights across the OECD. In the OECD Americas, electricity production fell marginally by around 0.2%, with geothermal, wind, solar, and other renewables growing by 8.4%. Production also fell in the OECD Asia/Oceania region, down 1.2% thanks in part to electricity-saving policies in Japan, but also represented the smallest volume increase in renewables. Electricity production grew by 1.8% in OECD Europe, with a nearly 20% growth in geothermal, solar, wind, and other renewables, and with falls in nuclear and large-hydro.
All figures are from Key Electricity Trends 2015 — Based on Monthly Data (PDF), published by the International Energy Agency.
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The first chart is pretty unhelpful. The baselines are so large that the changes, which are what we are interested in, are nearly invisible. Look, we know this is a big system with a lot of inertia.
Yes. Showing the size of the problem is legit but use a different way of presenting the data to show progress. Here’s a graph of how wind/solar, nuclear and fossil fuels have split up the market over the last few years.
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“And miles to go before I sleep”
Yes first chart shows how far OECD has to go. But your change chart is better for seeing the change. In gross total, there was “no” install PV until about 2004. “no” means you couldn’t really see it.
At 16% per annum growth, in 15 years renewables excluding hydro will be 70% of total generation.
Perhaps more if demand continues to fall.