Page - 28 - in Clean Water Using Solar and Wind - Outside the Power Grid

28 Clean Water Using Solar and Wind: Outside the Power Grid solar PV and wind already has geopolitical consequences, as illustrated in 3.7. The renewables have already created massive job opportunities, both in manufacturing and in assembling and mounting the renewable energy systems, as illustrated in 3.8. 3.1 THE GLOBAL PICTURE There is a dramatic change under way in the energy sector. Already 173 countries have established targets for renewable energy (IRENA, 2017a). In 2015 154 GW of new energy capacity was added globally: 61% came from renewables, and 90% of the investments in renewables came from wind and solar power (IRENA, 2017a). In 2016 almost two-thirds of the net new global power capacity of almost 165 GW coming online was renewable, a new record year. The solar PV development, driven by sharp cost reductions and policy support, was a key factor in this development. In 2016 new solar PV capacity around the world grew by 50%, reaching 74 GW. Solar PV additions were larger than any other electric energy source in 2016, even surpassing coal (IEA, 2017b). Renewables have increased almost exponentially over the last decade. Figure 3.1 shows how renewables (mostly solar, wind and hydropower) have developed. Notably, solar and wind have increased remarkably. In the period 2017–22 it is expected that solar PV will have the largest growth of all (www.iea.org/renewables). The IEA (International Energy Agency) forecasts that the share of renewables in global power generation will reach 30% in 2022, up from 24% in 2016. The growth rate of solar PV is exceptional compared to other electric energy sources, with an average growth rate of 41% between 2010 and 2015, admittedly from low levels (39 to 219 GW globally). This corresponds to 20% of all newly installed electric power capacity. During the same period wind offshore (outside the coast) has increased 30% per year and wind onshore (on land) almost 18% per year. Total wind power grew from 180 to 405 GW. As a comparison, hydropower grew 3.3% per year (IRENA, 2017a). Most of the global power capacity coming online today is renewable. Downloaded from https://iwaponline.com/ebooks/book-pdf/520710/wio9781780409443.pdf by IWA Publishing user