PARIS — Renewable energy sources could account for nearly half of the increase in global power generation through 2035, according to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) 2013 edition of the World Energy Outlook. Solar energy and wind energy could make up 45 percent of that expansion in renewables. The report also found that a renewed global focus on energy efficiency is taking hold and is set to deliver multiple benefits.

The IEA report noted that China is expected to see the biggest increase in generation from renewable energy sources, more than the increase in the United States, the European Union, and Japan combined. In terms of trends in energy efficiency, the IEA found that potential for energy efficiency is still far from exhausted: two-thirds of the economic potential of energy efficiency remains untapped.

The report presents a central scenario in which global energy demand rises by one-third through 2035. The shift in global energy demand to Asia gathers speed, but China moves towards a back seat in the 2020s as India and countries in Southeast Asia take the lead in driving consumption higher. At the same time, North America’s demand for crude oil imports all but disappears by 2035 and the region becomes a larger exporter of oil products.

Publication date: 12/2/2013

Want more HVAC industry news and information? Join The NEWS on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn today!