International renewable energy organisations have come together at COP21 in Paris to demonstrate that reliable 100% renewable energy is not only possible, but that systems already exist today with significant potential for expansion.
The side event, organised by the REN Alliance – a partnership of organisations representing the solar, wind, geothermal, hydropower and bioenergy sectors – demonstrated the realities of 100% renewables at all scales. The event provided case studies of communities, cities, countries and regions where various high-penetration combinations of renewable energy technologies are working together. These examples showed that technology solutions for a 100% renewable energy are in place, finance options are available and scalable, and resource availability is plentiful. Wind power can and will contribute a substantial share of the future energy supply. WWEA has identified a global wind potential of more than 100 TW, and they have analysed that by 2050, wind could provide 40% of the global power demand. Renewable energy sources accounted for 22,8% of the world’s total electricity production at the end of 2014, according to REN21’s 2015 Global Status Report.
