Global potential of renewable energy sources

Within the HYPAT project the global renewable energy potential in 2030 and 2050 has been modelled for four technologies: ground-mounted photovoltaic (PV), concentrated solar power (CSP), wind onshore, and wind offshore. The results are presented in a 42.25 km2 tile grid and calculated for two different cases: a 2% interest rate for all countries and a country-specific interest rate. The potential for hydropower and geothermal has been evaluated through a literature review. The results indicate that PV will have the lowest generation costs among the technologies in 2030 and 2050, with the lowest costs found in northern Chile. Low-cost regions for wind include the US Midwest, Australia, the Middle East, North Africa, and Northern Europe. CSP has the highest generation costs, however it has the highest full load hours. Geothermal has the highest potential in the US, followed by Indonesia, and the highest hydropower potential is found in China. Identifying optimal locations for renewable energy generation can reveal potential production sites for green fuels, including green hydrogen.