Renewable Generation

700–900

Windmill builders in Iran produced the earliest verified windmill designs

The oldest confirmed windmill designs are dated to Iran between 700 and 900 CE. They established mechanical wind harnessing centuries before its conversion to electricity, forming the technological ancestry of modern wind power.

1885

Werner Siemens hailed the discovery of the photovoltaic effect in the solid state

Commenting on the solid-state photovoltaic effect, Siemens argued its practical value lay in the limitless and costless supply of solar energy, which would outlast the world's coal deposits. The remark marks an early recognition that photovoltaics could become a durable electricity source.

1911

Scientific American argued solar power would remain the only means of existence once fuels ran out

An article published in 1911 recognised the long-term importance of solar energy in a world of exhausted natural fuels. It reflected an era of solar engine development that continued until the outbreak of the First World War.

1956

Peak oil theory was published, framing the case for renewable substitutes for oil

The theory of peak oil appeared in 1956 and supplied an intellectual basis for anticipating the depletion of fossil resources. It later underpinned environmentalist advocacy for renewable energy development.

1970s

Environmentalists and early wind developers brought forward the first electricity-generating wind turbines

During the 1970s environmentalists promoted renewable energy both as a replacement for eventually depleted oil and as an escape from oil dependence. The first electricity-generating wind turbines appeared in this period, marking the start of wind as a power-sector technology rather than a mechanical one.

1980

Solar photovoltaic industry reached the point where panels were cheap enough to build solar farms

Solar had long been used for heating and cooling, but panels remained too costly for solar farms until around 1980. Crossing that cost threshold opened the way to utility-scale photovoltaic generation.

1982

ARCO built the first utility-scale solar power plant at Hesperia, California

The 1982 Hesperia plant was the world's first utility-scale solar power station. It demonstrated that photovoltaic generation could be deployed at grid scale rather than only in small installations.

early 2000s

European governments dominated the establishment of renewable energy policy frameworks

Europe led in creating energy policy supporting renewables in the early 2000s, before the practice spread worldwide. Most countries now have some form of energy policy, and 156 countries have laws regulating the renewable energy sector.

2008

Renewables industry weathered the financial crisis better than most sectors on the back of new policy

New government spending, regulation and policies helped renewables through the 2008 financial crisis and the Great Recession. The sector's resilience consolidated state support as a structural feature of renewable deployment.

2009

75 founding states signed the charter creating the International Renewable Energy Agency

IRENA was formed in 2009 when 75 countries signed its charter, and had grown to 160 member states by April 2019. It became the principal intergovernmental body tracking renewable capacity, costs and finance.

2012

Sun Catalytix halted scale-up of its solar fuel-cell prototype

The MIT spin-off stopped scaling its prototype in 2012 because it offered few savings over other routes to making hydrogen from sunlight. The retreat illustrated the difficulty of commercialising emerging solar-to-fuel technologies.

2013–2022

Solar and wind supply chains cut installation costs by up to 69% for solar PV

Between 2013 and 2022 installation costs fell by 69% for solar photovoltaics, 33% for onshore wind and 45% for offshore wind. These declines made renewables cost-competitive with fossil generation and drove the surge in deployment.

2015

Parties to the Paris Agreement adopted a climate accord that spurred national renewable energy policies

The 2015 Paris Agreement motivated many countries to develop or improve renewable energy policies. By 2017, 121 countries had adopted some form of renewable energy policy and national targets existed in 176 countries.

April 2026

Wind and solar together outproduced gas-fired generation globally for the first month

Think tank Ember reported that in April 2026 wind and solar combined generated more electricity than gas worldwide over a calendar month for the first time. The milestone marked variable renewables overtaking a major fossil generation source at global scale.

2025

IRENA reported renewables supplied 85.6% of new generating capacity globally

During 2025 renewables accounted for 85.6% of all new electricity generation capacity added worldwide, with solar photovoltaics providing nearly three-quarters of the increase. By the end of that year renewables made up 49.4% of global installed generating capacity.

2024

NASA Office of Science and Technology Policy judged radiative-cooling power generation economically uncompetitive

A 2024 study examined harnessing the Earth's outgoing infrared thermal radiation as an energy source. It concluded that with current and near-future technologies the concept would not be economically competitive.

2024

Global solar industry passed 1 terawatt of installed photovoltaic capacity

Recent analyses indicate global solar PV capacity surpassed 1 TW in 2024, supplying roughly 6–7% of world electricity. Total renewable power capacity reached 4,300 GW by the end of that year, with solar accounting for over 60% of annual additions.

2023

Global solar sector grew capacity by nearly 30% in a single year

Global solar power capacity grew by almost 30% in 2023, driven by falling panel prices and expanded government incentives. Investment in solar and wind reached roughly US$200 billion, a 75% rise on the previous year.

2023

Around three-quarters of the world's countries pledged to triple renewable capacity by 2030

At the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference most states committed to tripling global renewable energy capacity by the end of the decade. The pledge became the headline international benchmark for renewable deployment.

December 2022

International Energy Agency forecast renewables growing by almost 2,400 GW over five years

The IEA's December 2022 report projected renewable growth of nearly 2,400 GW over 2022–2027, equal to China's entire installed power capacity in 2021. The projection was an 85% acceleration on the previous five years and the agency's largest ever upward revision.

2022

IRENA found 86% of new renewable capacity cheaper than fossil electricity

IRENA reported that about 187 GW, or 86%, of renewable capacity added in 2022 had lower costs than fossil-fuelled generation. It also calculated that capacity added since 2000 cut electricity bills by at least $520 billion in 2022.

2022

European Union set a target of 40% renewable electricity

The EU aimed in 2022 to generate 40% of its electricity from renewables by 2030. By 2025, 47% of EU electricity generation already came from renewable sources.

2020

Researchers published a world map of renewable energy material deposits and biodiversity overlaps

Scientists mapped areas containing renewable energy materials and estimated their overlap with Key Biodiversity Areas, Remaining Wilderness and Protected Areas. The work documented the land and mining footprint accompanying renewable deployment.

2019–2020

Offshore wind investors nearly doubled offshore wind investment to US$41 billion

Offshore wind investment rose to US$41 billion between 2019 and 2020, driven mainly by policy incentives in China and expansion in Europe. Global wind capacity grew by 557 GW between 2013 and 2021, with additions rising about 19% a year.

2016–2021

China added 560 GW of solar PV, more than all advanced economies combined

Chinese photovoltaic capacity grew faster than anywhere else between 2016 and 2021, adding 560 GW. The expansion made China the dominant player in solar generation, hosting four of the ten biggest solar stations by 2025.