PVTIME – The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) recently released its report, Renewable Capacity Statistics 2020.
Francesco La Camera, Director-General of IRENA, states in the forward,
“Renewable energy sources have continued to dominate new additions to the world’s power generation mix over the past year. Renewable capacity reached 2 537 gigawatts (GW) globally by the end of 2019, up 176 GW from the previous year.
Asia once again achieved over half of new installations despite a slightly slower pace. Europe and North America, meanwhile, saw an upturn in their capacity expansion. Wind and solar power accounted for 90% of the world’s newly added renewable capacity. In part, this very high share reflects low hydropower growth as several large projects missed expected completion deadlines. But even then, renewables represented 72% of total capacity additions in 2019, continuing to outpace fossil fuels by a wide margin.
This latest edition of Renewable Capacity Statistics comes amid a global health crisis that affects practically every sphere of life. As an existential threat, the multi-faceted fallout from coronavirus (COVID-19) now sits alongside climate change as a defining challenge of our time.
In responding to today’s crisis, governments may be tempted to focus on short-term solutions. Yet distinctions between short-, medium- and long-term challenges may be deceptive. Economic stimulus measures must also embrace sustainability and climate goals.”
Highlights of the report is as followed:
 recently released its report, Renewable Capacity Statistics 2020. Francesco La Camera, Director-General of IRENA, states in the forward, “Renewable energy sources have…){kind=link}