by Brianna Crandall — November 25, 2013—The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has released the 2012 Renewable Energy Data Book , which assesses U.S. energy statistics for 2012, including renewable electricity, worldwide renewable energy development, clean energy investments, and data on specific technologies. The report can help facilities owners and managers determine what types of renewable energy are trending now and may work for their facilities.
“The 2012 Renewable Energy Data Book is filled with information-packed charts and graphics, which allows users, from analysts to policymakers, to quickly understand and summarize trends in renewable energy—both on a U.S. and global scale,” said Rachel Gelman, NREL energy analyst.
Key findings in the 2012 Renewable Energy Data Book include:
- Renewable electricity represented 14% of total installed capacity and more than 12% of total electric generation in 2012. Installed renewable electricity capacity is more than 163 gigawatts (GW).
- The installed global renewable electricity capacity, including hydropower, doubled between 2000 and 2012, and represents a significant and growing portion of the total energy supply both globally and in the USA.
- In 2012, wind energy and solar photovoltaics (PV) were two of the fastest-growing electric generation technologies in the USA. Cumulative installed wind energy capacity increased by nearly 28% and cumulative installed solar photovoltaic capacity grew more than 83% from the previous year.
- Renewable electricity has been capturing a growing percentage of new capacity additions during the past few years. In 2012, renewable electricity accounted for more than 56% of all new electrical capacity installations in the USA—a major increase from 2004 when renewable electricity installations captured only 2% of new capacity additions.
The 2012 Renewable Energy Data Book is produced by NREL’s Strategic Energy Analysis Center on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). NREL is operated for the Energy Department by The Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.
