Renewable energy is energy from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale . Renewable resources include sunlight , wind , the movement of water , and geothermal heat . [2] [3] Although most renewable energy sources are sustainable , some are not. For example, some biomass sources are considered unsustainable at current rates of exploitation . [4] [5] Renewable energy is often used for electricity generation , heating and cooling . Renewable energy projects are typically large-s
From 2011 to 2021, renewable energy has grown from 20% to 28% of global electricity supply. Use of fossil energy shrank from 68% to 62%, and nuclear from 12% to 10%. The share of hydropower decreased from 16% to 15% while power from sun and wind increased from 2% to 10%. Biomass and geothermal energy grew from 2% to 3%. There are 3,146 gigawatts installed in 135 countries, while 156 countries have laws regulating the renewable energy sector. [10] [11] In 2021, China accounted for almost half of the global i
Globally there are over 10 million jobs associated with the renewable energy industries, with solar photovoltaics being the largest renewable employer. [13] Renewable energy systems are rapidly becoming more efficient and cheaper and their share of total energy consumption is increasing, [14] with a large majority of worldwide newly installed electricity capacity being renewable. [15] In most countries, photovoltaic solar or onshore wind are the cheapest new-build electricity. [16]