A new report from the International Energy Agency has revealed that the renewable energy sector is on track to break yet another record in 2021 - generating almost 290 gigawatts (GW) of new renewable power in one year.
This green energy growth has mostly been driven by increased investment in solar power, which accounted for more than half of all renewable power expansion in 2021 (followed by wind, and hydropower).
Overall, renewable electricity generation is forecast to increase 6% year on year, potentially reaching over 7,900 Terawatt-hour (TWh) by the end of 2021. Just how much energy is this? Well for context, the UK consumes roughly 287 TWh of electricity each year.
Compared to 2020, global renewable generation is up 3% - and this trend is only set to increase.
"This year's record renewable energy additions are yet another sign that a new global energy economy is emerging. The high commodity and energy prices we are seeing today pose new challenges for the renewable industry, but elevated fossil fuel prices also make renewables even more competitive." - Fatih Birol, executive director of the IEA
