Renewables surpassed coal in 2015 to become the world’s No. 1 source of installed power capacity, according to the International Energy Agency’s Medium-Term Renewable Market Report 2016. “In 2015, annual renewable electricity capacity growth reached an all-time record at 153 gigawatts (GW), thanks to record additions in both onshore wind (63 GW) and solar photovoltaics (PV) (49 GW),” the report says. “For the first time, renewables accounted for more than half of net annual additions to power capacity and overtook coal in terms of cumulative installed capacity in the world.”
The IEA projected that renewables’ piece of the global energy mix will continue to grow. “The share of renewables in overall electricity generation will rise from over 23% in 2015 to almost 28% in 2021,” the report says. “On average, world renewables output is expected to provide over 60% of total electricity generation growth during the forecast period.”