Global Wind and Solar Power Review

In 2019, wind and solar generated 8.2% of global electricity, with the EU leading at 18%. The report highlights that wind and solar are now the cheapest new generation sources for two-thirds of the global population and that electricity grids remained stable during the 2020 Covid-19 lockdowns even as renewable shares reached record highs in countries like Denmark (65%), Germany (45%), and Greece (41%). To limit temperature increase to 1.5 degrees, the report notes that coal's market share must drop from 35% to 8% by 2030, requiring wind and solar's share to increase to approximately 29%.

• Wind and solar power generated 8.2% of the world's electricity in 2019, representing a significant increase from 3% of electricity demand in 2013. Wind contributed 5% and solar contributed 3% to the global total.
• The growth of wind and solar has directly reduced the market share of coal, which fell from 40% to 35% over six years. To align with IPCC goals of limiting temperature increase to 1.5 degrees, coal's share must decrease to 8% by 2030, while wind and solar's share should rise to around 29%.
• The Covid-19 lockdowns in April 2020 demonstrated that electricity grids can reliably handle very high shares of renewables. In Europe, demand fell by 14% year-on-year, and wind and solar reached record shares in Denmark (65%), Germany (45%), and Greece (41%).
• Wind and solar are the most cost-effective new generation sources for two-thirds of the global population. In China, increasing renewables could save the power sector 10% by 2030.
• Regional leadership varies significantly: the EU-28 leads with an 18% share, while the Middle East lags at 1%. Specific national leaders include Denmark (55%), Uruguay (38%), and Morocco (17%).

APA

Tunbridge, P. (2020). Global Wind and Solar Power Review. Ember. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2020/03/Global-Wind-and-Solar-Power-Review-_-Ember-2020.pdf

Chicago

Tunbridge, Pete. Global Wind and Solar Power Review. Ember, 2020. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2020/03/Global-Wind-and-Solar-Power-Review-_-Ember-2020.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Tunbridge |first1=Pete |title=Global Wind and Solar Power Review |publisher=Ember |date=7 July 2020 |url=https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2020/03/Global-Wind-and-Solar-Power-Review-_-Ember-2020.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{tunbridge2020global, author = {Tunbridge, Pete}, title = {{Global Wind and Solar Power Review}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2020}, month = jul, url = {https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2020/03/Global-Wind-and-Solar-Power-Review-_-Ember-2020.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }