Solar and wind reach a record 10% of the global energy matrix

Solar and wind sources reached a record 10% of global electricity during the first six months of 2020. This is according to a study carried out by Ember, an international research company on the energy sector.

According to the consultancy, generation from both grew 14% in the first half of this year compared to the same period in 2019, while coal production fell 8,3%.

“The global decline in emissions from the coal and power sector is good news for the climate, but governments need to dramatically accelerate the electricity transition if global coal generation is to collapse over the 2020s,” said Dave Jones, senior electricity analyst at Ember.

“Switching from coal to gas is just swapping one fossil fuel for another. The fastest and cheapest way to end its generation is through the rapid implementation of solar and wind energy”, highlighted the expert.

Since the Paris Agreement – ​​a global treaty that aims to contain the increase in global warming – was signed in 2015, photovoltaic and wind sources have more than doubled their share in global electricity generation, rising from 4,6% to 9,8. 4%. In China, Japan and Brazil, for example, it increased from 10% to 6%. In the United States it rose from 12% to 3,4%, and in India it almost tripled, going from 9,7% to XNUMX%.

According to Márcio Takata, director of Greener, It is a matter of time before renewables replace coal in most countries. “It’s a global trend. Environmental and economic aspects are the two factors that will guide the development and expansion of renewable generation in the world.”

For him, this will occur due to the technological advancement of renewables, the gain in financial efficiency of the technology and also due to the world's concern with reducing CO2 emissions.

About the research

According to Ember, the report shows evidence that photovoltaic and wind sources have rapidly increased to become an important source of electricity in most countries, and are successfully reducing the burning of coal.

“Countries around the world are now on the same path – building wind turbines and solar panels to replace electricity from coal and gas-fired plants. But to maintain a chance of limiting climate change to 1,5 degrees, coal generation needs to fall by 13% each year this decade,” concluded Jones. 

Ember's new biannual analysis aggregates national electricity generation for 48 countries, representing 83% of global production. It is based on the company's annual review, released in March this year.