Stronger integration measures needed as solar and wind soar to record levels in electricity sector
New IEA report offers first-of-its-kind global stocktake of efforts to integrate variable renewables across 50 power systems, identifying best practices and key challenges
As solar PV and wind grow at an accelerated pace around the world, governments must act to ensure that they are well integrated into power systems – or risk losing out on significant benefits, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Between 2018 and 2023, solar PV and wind capacity worldwide more than doubled, and their share of electricity generation nearly doubled. Fuelled by supportive government policies, as 133 countries commit to cooperate to triple global renewable energy generation capacity by the end of the decade, and continued cost reductions, these renewable sources are projected to keep expanding rapidly towards 2030.
However, according to Integrating Solar and Wind: Global experience and emerging challenges, published today (18th September), to maximise the advantages of this additional capacity, these variable renewable energy (VRE) sources need to be well integrated into power systems as they are deployed. According to the report, delaying the implementation of measures to support integration could result in electricity generation from solar PV and wind being 15% lower in 2030 and shave five percentage points off their share of the global electricity mix.
“In recent years, the world has seen a remarkable increase in solar and wind capacity as countries have looked to bolster their energy security and reduce emissions. But they won’t reap the full benefits without stronger efforts to support the integration of these technologies into power systems,” said IEA Director of Energy Markets and Security Keisuke Sadamori. “This important new report lays out the challenges ahead, as well as how to tackle them. As global experience grows, so does our understanding of how to keep clean energy transitions moving forward securely.”
This is a first-of-its-kind global stocktake of integration measures across 50 power systems, which together account for nearly 90% of global solar PV and wind generation today. This includes updated country assessments using the IEA’s framework for the phases of variable renewable energy integration, which was originally developed in 2017 and last updated in 2019.
According to the report, most technological solutions to address emerging hurdles – namely, a higher need for stability and flexibility – are either mature or nearing maturity, and their successful rollout often lies in appropriate policy and regulatory action rather than new technological breakthroughs. Even so, incorporating higher levels of variable renewables into power systems requires rethinking the ways in which they have traditionally been planned and operated. This will necessitate proactive measures globally as the uptake of renewables continues apace.
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