Renewable Energy Futures

Renewable energy's future is bright, yet uncertain. Will it continue to grow rapidly? Is current growth sufficient to achieve climate stabilization? How do other technologies, like electric vehicles and heat pumps, fit in? In these lessons, we take a close look at several leading energy scenarios - models that describe possible futures for renewable energy. These scenarios show where we are headed, and where we need to be headed in order to stop climate change.

Wind turbines and solar photovoltaics (PV) are on a path of rapid growth. In these lessons, we review promising new technical approaches for wind and solar PV, such as offshore floating wind platforms and building-integrated PV. We’ll also assess other renewable energy technologies that are on different paths: concentrating solar power (CSP), ocean energy, and biofuels.

For renewables to provide the bulk of global energy needs, ‘enabling’ technologies - those that support and enhance renewables - are needed as well. In these lessons, we describe the critical roles these enabling technologies play, and review their current status and future prospects. Enabling technologies covered include storage (notably batteries), electric vehicles, and hydrogen.

Renewables are driving rapid change in energy systems worldwide, and these systems will look very different in the future. These lessons examine key trends, issues, and concepts for future renewables-based energy systems. These included electrification, distributed energy, electricity market structures, and others.