2.7 The
Current
Situation
of
Renewable
Energy
Since 1973,
which
can
be
considered
as
the
starting
point
of
political
and
financial
support for research and
development
into
clean
energy,
renewable
energies
have
undergone
a
profound
transformation
such
that
they
are
now
a
feasible
source
of
energy
for
many
services. Despite this
and
a
strong
annual
energy
production
increase
from
renewable
resources,
market
penetration
remains
low
as
it
supplies
a
very
small
proportion
of
the
global
energy
demand
which
has
grown
in
the
same
period.
Currently, renewable
energies
supply
approximately
13.5%
(1,352
MegaTons
in
Petroleum
Equivalent)
of
the
total
energy
demanded,
including
commercial
and
traditional,
biomass
energy
sources.
Most
of
the
13.5%
corresponds
to
the
traditional
use
of
biomass
(for
heating
and
cooking)
and
to
the
production
of
electricity
from
large
scale
hydropower
dams.
It
is
for
this
reason
that
the
proportion
of
renewable
energy
in
a
given
region
is
directly
related
to
poverty
levels;
in
Africa,
50%
of
its
energy
mix
is
from
renewable
sources.
The increase in
energy
coming
from
renewable
sources
has
also
grown
noticeably
in
wealthy
countries
during
the
last
decade.
However;
if
renewable
supplies
are
analysed
with
respect
to
the
total
global
energy
supplied;
the
percentage
of
renewable
energy
supplied
has
in
fact
diminished.
Despite this
however,
predicted
market
penetration
of
renewables
remains
at
a
moderate
level.
The
International
Energy
Agency
(IEA)
forecasts,
in
a
best
case
scenario,
that
if
further
policies
to
increase
the
levels
of
renewable
power
were
implemented
that
8.6%
of
the
commercial
energy
market
would
be
gained
by
2020
(2%
in
1990),
excluding
hydropower.
The reasons for
this
continued,
moderately
low
market
penetration
are
many.
Diffusion
of
new
technologies
requires
time,
especially
in
the
energy
sector;
the
transition
from
coal
to
petroleum
based
power
generation
took
many
decades.
Furthermore, subsidies
for
fossil
fuels,
whether
transparent
or
hidden,
slow
the
progress
of
renewables
towards
becoming
a
competitive
alternative.
Attempts
to
externalise
energy
system
costs
(i.e.
including
costs
associated
with
environmental
damage
and
repair
originating
from
the
use
of
fossil
fuels
in
the
direct
fuel
costs)
have
also
not
been
put
into
practice.
Source: Aguilera et al [see reference 3]