Renewable energy global potential

Table 5.1. Annual global primary technical and theoretical energy potentials for various renewable energy sources in 2004 (physical energy content method)...

The Renewables-Intensive Global Energy Scenario (RIGES) predicts a primary energy potential from biomass resources for Western Europe to be 14160 PJ/year by 2025 and 14 170 PJ/year by 2050 (Johansson et al., 1993). Thereby the biomass potential comprises resources from wood, energy crops, agricultural residues and industrial biomass residues. The estimates are based on the biomass production at that time in combination with assumptions of future growth rates. 

The most widely used form of renewable energy is hydroelectricity. As shown in Chapter 2.3.3, 27% of solar radiation (after solar absorption) is used for global evaporation of water and therefore transformed into latent heat in the atmosphere. Only a small percentage is usable as potential energy (uplift of surface water via evaporation and precipitation into river water above sea level) estimated to about 100 TW (corresponding to 0.1 % of solar absorption). 

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