With the falling costs of renewable power generation technologies, the focus is increasingly moving to the next stage of the energy transition, leading to a shift in emphasis towards an energy system approach that seeks to integrate different technologies and sectors. This, in turn, will minimise the cost of the transition to an energy future in which variable renewables and electric vehicles will play an increasing role.

This shift in dynamic as the energy transition accelerates has served to highlight numerous new technologies, market designs, business models and “systems thinking” at the energy sector level that will be required – and will become economic – in this second stage of the energy transition. The role of battery energy storage systems (BESS) for stationary and transport applications is therefore gaining prominence.

IRENA is tracking the current costs and performance of BESS and is monitoring how the value of these systems in different applications and international markets is likely to evolve over time (e.g., increasing self-consumption of rooftop solar PV, the provision of grid services such as frequency regulation or ramping needs, as well as peak power demand shaving in industry, etc.).

Biodiesel

Bioethanol

Biomass

Biomethane

CSP

Electric vehicles

Geothermal

Hydropower

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs)

Power Generation

Solar photovoltaic

Transport Section

Wind

The Power to Change: Solar and Wind Cost Reduction Potential to 2025

Increasing economies of scale, more competitive supply chains and further technological improvements will continue reducing the costs of solar and wind power. The same factors will also boost the availability of these key renewable power sources at night and in varying weather conditions.

• June 2016
• |
• Costs, Power
• |
• English

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