Introduction

This inventory of renewably-sourced electricity production aims to supply objective, quantified information about the development of the individual renewable electricity sectors across the world. The document, which is now in its thirteenth annual edition, is intended for market and energy policy analysts, and all those who take an interest in the development of renewable energies. It naturally describes the trend for hydraulic power, and also extends to the various biomass sectors (solid biomass, biogas, renewable municipal waste, liquid biomass), wind power, geothermal power, solar (photovoltaic and concentrated solar power) and ocean energies over the 2000-2010 period. The inventory also looks at the trends for non-renewable fuels – fossil fuels (fuel oil, gas, coal) grouped together in a single category, nuclear energy and waste classified as non-renewable (industrial and non-renewable municipal waste).
The advances made in each renewable sector can thus be measured in absolute terms through their production track records and comparatively by calculating their respective shares of total electricity production. The inventory also provides qualitative analyses of the variations observed and information on the energy context of each country and world region to make the statistical indicators more readily understandable. This edition also highlights the leading renewable energy producers and guides the user through the publication. A box has been added for the top five producer countries for each sector emphasizing the country’s success in developing that sector. An electricity consumption indicator is used to distinguish between the net exporters and importers of electricity, which is important when considering production trends. Lastly, this edition includes two appendices that present the wind power and photovoltaic capacity data of the European Union countries and of the main countries involved in these technologies (whose installed capacity exceeds 100 MW).
The document adopts the same structure as in previous years. The first chapter characterises the context in which renewable electricity production is developing at world scale. The second chapter presents an overview of the world and regional dynamics of each renewable sector. The third presents the track record of each of these sectors in the electric system of eighty-six countries and thirteen regions of the world (including the European Union).
The fourth and final chapter for its part looks at the development of decentralised rural electrification in developing countries using photovoltaic power plants, for all application sectors (domestic electrification, community electrification, water pumping and professional applications).