Renewable Energy projects are increasing globally and 2019 was the best year yet for the number of applications submitted.

According to the energy consultancy px Group, the number of projects increased from 204 in 2018 to 269 in 2019. This is another year of significant growth which has been the pattern over the last four years. The consultancy firm is one of many groups that is seeing a predicted growth within the sector.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) also found that solar, wind and hydropower projects are rolling out at their fastest rate in four years.

Its latest report predicts that by 2024, a new dawn of cheap solar power would see the world’s solar capacity grow by 600GW, almost double the installed total electricity capacity of Japan. Overall, renewable electricity is expected to grow by 1,200GW in the next five years, the equivalent of the total electricity capacity of the US.

The report forecasts that the world’s total renewable-based power capacity will grow by 50% between 2019 and 2024. Global solar PV growth accounts for 60% of the rise. The share of renewables in global power generation is set to rise from 26% today to 30% in 2024.

Admittedly in the UK on and offshore wind make up the bulk of renewable energy and this trend is predicted to continue and grow exponentially. Solar PV is also making significant gains in output capacity - figures for 2018 show 12.9 TWh of electricity produced.

The expected growth comes after renewable capacity additions stalled last year for the first time in almost two decades. The renewed expansion remains well below what is needed to meet global sustainable energy targets.

“Renewables are already the world's second-largest source of electricity, but their deployment still needs to accelerate if we are to achieve long-term climate, air quality and energy access goals,” said Dr Fatih Birol, the IEA’s Executive Director.

It is widely known that three main areas need to be addressed; deployment of renewables, policy and regulatory uncertainty, high investment risks and system integration of wind and solar PV.

Distributed PV accounts for almost half of the growth in the overall solar PV market through 2024. Contrary to conventional wisdom, commercial and industrial applications rather than residential uses dominate distributed PV growth, accounting for three-quarters of new installations over the next five years. This is because economies of scale combined with better alignment of PV supply and electricity demand enable more self-consumption and bigger savings on electricity bills in the commercial and industrial sectors.

The number of solar rooftop systems on homes is set to more than double to some 100 million by 2024, with the top markets on a per capita basis that year forecast to be Australia, Belgium, California, the Netherlands and Austria.

Increasing renewable energy solutions means also increasing grid capabilities. The increased number of electric vehicles on our roads denotes a need for more electrical vehicle charge points which again needs more comprehensive grid support or advanced renewable energy technology solutions. Without the added grid support and DNO incentive to do so, commercial battery storage could be the answer.

In light of challenging times with governmental advice to self-isolate and work from home when possible, the COVID-19 virus has presented many challenges to all industries. A side-effect being a delay in positive government policies supporting clean energy technologies as well as supply chain issues. It can also be predicted that there will be a productive and strong "bounce-back" in the latter half of 2020.