Energy transition technologies present new opportunities for global energy systems, according to recent study of International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
The Innovation Outlook for Sustainable Development Powered by Renewables Report, released during the IRENA Assembly, reveals that transformation is possible when technological innovation is addressed alongside innovation in policy, regulation, market design, system operation and business models.
The IRENA report highlights 40 innovations to support policymakers in building resilient power systems, expanding access to energy and promoting local development.
These 40 innovations are grouped into four strategic toolkits for policymakers under the headings of grid modernisation, decentralised solutions, inclusive local development and energy access.
"The agency's holistic approach aims to enable the development of rapidly deployable solutions tailored to the technical, economic and socio-cultural conditions of countries and communities," the report said.
Within this framework, the report includes new business models ranging from artificial intelligence and digital applications to smart planning and off-grid solutions for grid modernisation.
The report also concludes that a systemic and integrated approach can deliver resilient electricity systems, broaden access to energy, ensure affordability and unlock the full potential of the energy transition.
Meanwhile, energy communities in Tanzania, Kenya, Colombia and Malaysia are jointly owning and benefiting from local renewable energy projects, while regional power pools covering 15 countries in West Africa enable cross-border sharing of renewable energy resources.
In Malaysia, dynamic line rating increases transmission capacity by 10–50%, while battery swapping stations in Uganda and Rwanda, along with pay-as-you-go models implemented in Sierra Leone and Liberia, are expanding access to energy and electric mobility.
- 'We recommend context-specific solutions'
Commenting on the report, IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera said the key question is not whether the energy system can be transformed, but whether it will be done in a holistic way that benefits everyone.
"The energy transition is not only about the availability of technology; it is also about solutions that deliver social justice. With today's report, we advocate a systemic innovation approach and provide policymakers with a toolkit to develop context-specific solutions," he explained.
Noting that renewable technologies are the cheapest source of electricity in most regions, La Camera said: "The combination of cost-competitive renewables and the decentralised nature of many innovations makes universal access to electricity and resilient power systems achievable, particularly in emerging and developing economies, supporting a just transition and economic development."
By Gulsen Cagatay in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr
