8 Conclusion

Renewable energy has weathered many storms. Only 15 years ago, the IEA predicted virtually no growth in the use of renewables in the coming decades. The prediction proved spectacularly incorrect. Every year, hundreds of billions of dollars are invested in renewable energy, due to both supportive government policy in key markets and rapidly declining costs of renewable energy generation. The first modern renewable source of energy that became commercially viable was onshore wind, and now solar photovoltaics are following its lead. Less mature technologies, such as offshore wind and tidal power, are waiting for their moment.