IEAHydropower

IEA Renewable Energy

Renewable Energy Working Party (REWP)

The IEA Hydropower Agreement operates within the IEA energy technology and R&D collaboration programme, and under the umbrella of the Renewable Energy Working Party (REWP), in particular.

The IEA Hydropower Implementing Agreement has an important role to play in meeting the REWP's vision of 50% renewable energy worldwide by 2050. To achieve this requires a coordinated effort by the hydropower industry and increased country participation. Participation in the Agreement provides direct contact with international agencies, other government energy departments and world renowned expertise. It offers a multi-lateral exchange of ideas, and the opportunity to collaborate in international research programs through the work of the Annexes.

For more information about the IEA Renewable Energy Programme go to the REWP webpage

REWP Seminar, March, 2005 - Catching Up:
Priorities for Augmented Renewable Energy R&D

The IEA analysis reveals that renewables RD&D has declined, (about 9% lower since 1987 than before). At the same time market deployment funding has increased, but renewables market share has decreased. (from ca. 6 % in 1992, falling to 5.5 % in 2001 of TPES). The technologies that were close to competitiveness in 1973 (hydropower, biomass combustion, and geothermal) have plateaued at about 5% of TPES. Only wind power, several forms of advanced bioenergy (e.g. anaerobic digestion) and to an extent photovoltaics, have made it through the RD&D pipeline to market entry, and they have not yet grown enough to propel renewables overall to higher penetration.

In this context, the Executive Director of the IEA, at the International Conference for Renewable Energies in Bonn, in June 2004, proposed three major changes to the renewable energy strategy; the first of these was a call to increase targeted renewables RD&D funding. It is time to increase RD&D investments to the renewable energy technologies to bring them to market's door, although not necessarily by increasing overall funding levels. Efficiency and effectiveness are called for in devising strategies to accomplish a wider spectrum of R&D priorities.

This Seminar, in March, 2005, organised with a broad input of IEA Renewable Energy Implementing Agreements, was a stepping stone in the process of defining strategies and priorities for augmented RD&D on renewable energy technologies.

A detailed explanation is available on the IEA website.

The following seminar report can be downloaded.