IEA report claims marked improved use of global renewable energy in five years

A new report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) has predicted a 40% jump in the global use of green energy by the year 2017.

The IEA’s Medium-Term Renewable Energy Market Report 2012 believes the world’s dependence on fossil fuels will lessen as the use of biopower, wind, solar and hydro will grow.

The document focused on eight common renewable energy sources* including bioenergy because 'as markets begin to mature with advancing technology, they will increase rapidly over the coming years as businesses start to cotton on to their potential'.

Bioenergy is seen as having the second-fastest growing rate at 8.3%, behind wind power which was posted at almost double that figure.

The IEA also predicts that renewable energy per TWh will rise almost 60% by 2017, going from 1,160TWh between 2005 and 2011 to 1,840TWh, with 710GW coming from new renewables. It also claims China will contribute 270GW to the new capacity, as well as 56GW for the US, 32GW for Germany and 36GW for India.

*The other seven were hydropower, geothermal, both on- and off-shore wind, ocean power, concentrated solar power and solar photovoltaics.