edie.net
Global wind power installations will nearly double in the next five years as prices continue to fall and countries develop renewable energy to comply with emissions reduction targets, according to research published in Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) flagship publication.
GWEC’s Global Wind Report highlights that worldwide annual installations reached 63 GW in 2015, representing a 22% increase in a record-breaking year for wind power. The GWEC report also said that cumulative wind energy capacity rose to 433 GW by the end of the year, up 17% from 2014.
GWEC secretary general Steve Sawyer said: “Wind power led all technologies in new power generation in 2015. Led by wind, renewables have come of age and are transforming the power sector.
“The Paris Agreement requires a fully decarbonized power system by 2050 if not before, if we are keeping temperatures below 2°C above pre-industrial levels. We have to turn things around very quickly.
“Wind power is now mainstream, supplying competitive, reliable and clean energy to fuel economic growth, and to cut emissions in established economies, while at the same time creating new jobs, new industries, and enhancing energy security.”
The global wind revolution was led by the Chinese industry, which installed 30.8 GW of new capacity and increased its cumulative capacity to 145 GW. Europe had a strong year thanks to Germany’s record-setting 6 GW of installations, while the US ended the year with a “surprisingly high” 8.6 GW market.
