RENEWABLES INTERACTIVE MAP

Glossary

Topic	Definition
Policies	Governments have a number of different options that they can use to promote renewables. Often, a mix of instruments is the key to their success. The focus in this database is on direct support instruments. They can be categorised into three distinctive groups: A. Regulatory Policies B. Fiscal incentives C. Public financing
Regulatory Policies
Utility Quota Obligation	Generally called Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), renewables obligations or quota policies. A standard requiring that a minimum percentage of generation sold or capacity installed be provided by renewable energy. Obligated utilities are required to ensure that the target is met.
Net Metering	Allows a two-way flow of electricity between the electricity distribution grid and customers with their own generation. Customers pay only for the net electricity used.
Obligation and Mandate	Include for examples obligations for buildings, biofuel bleding, RE and EE standards, etc…
Tradable renewable energy certificate (REC)	Certificates provide a tool for trading and meeting renewable energy obligations among consumers and/or producers, and also a means for voluntary green power purchases. They operate by offering 'green certificates' for every kWh or MWh generated by a renewable producer. The value of these certificates, which can be traded on a market, is added to the basic payment for the renewably generated electricity.
Feed-in tariff	A policy that sets a price that is guaranteed over a certain period of time at which power producers can sell renewably generated electricity into the grid . Some policies provide a fixed tariff while others provide fixed premiums added to market- or cost-related tariffs. Feed-in tariffs are expressed in national currency per kWh or national currency per MWh.
Fiscal Incentives
Capital subsidy, grant, or rebate	One-time payments by the government to cover a percentage of the capital cost of an investment.
Tax Incentives	Includes all tax incentives such as: investment tax credits, production tax credits or reductions in sales, energy, carbon, excise , VAT, etc.
Energy Production Payment	Direct payment of the government per unit of renewable energy produced.
Public Financing
Public investments, loans, or grants	Provides infrastructure projects and use of public benefits, funds, loans etc.
Public competative bidding	Tendering system for contracts to construct and operate a particular project, or a fixed quantity of renewable capacity in a country or state.
Targets	A commitment, plan, or goal by a country to achieve a certain level of renewable energy by a future date. Some targets consist of legislated mandates while others are set by regulatory agencies or ministries. Targets can be expressed in per cent (%), W (kW, MW, GW) or Wh (kWh, MW, GWh).
Renewables in final energy	Targets for renewables in the consumption of final energy to achieve by a future date.
Renewables in primary energy	Targets for renewables in the contribution to primary energy to achieve by a future date.
Renewables in electricity	Targets for renewables in the electricity sector to be achieved by a future date. Targets can be set as a share of total electricity, renewables capacity, or total renewables production to be achieved
Existing Renewable Energy Shares	Contribution of renewables to primary energy or final energy consumption.
Final Energy Share	This method counts the share of end-use consumption as electricity, heat, and directly used fuels.
Primary Energy Share	A method counting total fuel consumed as well as the energy value of electricity produced by renewables, such as hydro or wind, which provides a literal, physical accounting. It is an emerging method used by the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Installed Capacity	Renewable energy' in this database refers to 'new' renewables (hydro, wind, grid-connected solar PV, solar hot water, geothermal). Nominal or nameplate 'capacity', or maximum effect refers to the normal maximum output of a generating source. These measures are presented in GW or MW for power capacity, billion litres, tonnes, or kT for biofuels (ethanol and biodiesel), and GWth for solar heating and solar hot water capacity. Installed capacity measures: 1.Renewables power capacity 2.Hydropower capacity 3.Wind power capacity 4.Solar PV capacity 5.Geothermal power capacity 6.Biomass power capacity 7.Biofules production 8.Biodiesel 9.Hot water/Heating 10.Capacity (solar heating/hot water)
Renewables power capacity	Installed renewables power capacity.
Hydrowpower capacity	Installed capacity of Hydropower. In many cases small hydropower capacity (generally designated as below 10 MW although small hydro statistics in this resource can include larger plants, in line with varying national standards) is reported separately.
Wind power capacity	Installed wind power capacity.
Solar PV capacity	Installed solar PV capacity. Solar PV can be expressed in grid-connected and off-grid capacity.
Geothermal power capacity	Installed geothermal power capacity.
Biomass power capacity	Installed biomass power capacity
Biofuels production	Refers to the fabrication of 'biofuels' in one year.
Fuel ethanol	Fuel ethanol production in billion litres, tonnes, or kilo tonnes.
Biodiesel	Biodiesel production in billion litres, tonnes, or kilo tonnes.
Hot water/Heating	Renewable energy that heats water and stores it in a tank for use as domestic hot water or for space heating.
Capacity (solar heating/hot water)	Installed Solar hot water/heating capacity in GWth.
Technology
Wind	Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into electricity, using wind turbines.
Solar technology	Solar photovoltaic (PV) panel/module/cell. Converts sunlight into electricity. The PV cell is the basic building block, which is then manufactured into modules and panels for installation. Thin-film solar PV materials can also be applied as films over existing surfaces or integrated with building components.
	Solar hot water/heating. Solar collectors that heat water and store it in a tank for use usually as domestic hot water or for space heating.
	Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) CSP power plants generate electricity by using the heat from solar thermal collectors to heat a fluid which produces steam that is used to power the generator. Concentrating solar power (CSP) systems use lenses or mirrors to concentrate the sunlight, which is either directed on photovoltaic surfaces (electricity production) or used to heat a transfer fluid, which powers a generator (heat and/or electricity).
Hydrowpower technology	Electricity derived from the energy of water moving from higher to lower elevations. Hydropower can be “run of river” without a reservoir, or can include reservoir storage capacity. Large hydropower is usually defined as larger than 10 megawatts; the definition can vary by country. Smaller-scale installations are called small-, mini-, micro-, or pico-hydropower, depending on the scale.
Bioenergy technology	Solid biomass. Unprocessed biomass, including agricultural waste, forest products waste, collected fuel wood, and animal dung, that is burned in stoves or furnaces to provide heat energy for cooking, heating, and agricultural and industrial processing, typically in rural areas.
	Biomass power and heat. Power and/or heat generation from solid biomass, which includes forest product wastes, agricultural residues and waste, energy crops, and the organic component of municipal solid waste and industrial waste. Also includes power and process heat from biogas.
	Biogas. Organic material, Animal and plant wastes, converted into biogas through anaerobic digestion. It is produced in digestors or landfills and can be used for lighting, cooking, heating, and electricity generation. Converts animal and plant wastes into gas that is usable for lighting, cooking, heating, and electricity generation.
	Modern biomass. Biomass-utilization technologies other than those defined for traditional biomass, such as biomass cogeneration for power and heat, biomass gasification, biogas anaerobic digesters, and liquid biofuels for vehicles.
	Biofuels. Liquid fuels and blending components produced from biomass (plant) feedstocks, used primarily for transportation. The two most common types of biofuels are:
	Biodiesel. A vehicle fuel for diesel-powered cars, trucks, buses, and other vehicles. Biodiesel is produced from oilseed crops such as soy, rapeseed (canola), and mustard, or from other vegetable oil sources such as waste cooking oil. Biodiesel is also used in Stationary generators.
	Ethanol. A vehicle fuel made from biomass (typically corn, sugar cane, or wheat) that can replace ordinary gasoline in modest percentages or be used in pure form in specially modified vehicles.
Geothermal power and heat	Heat energy emitted from within the Earth, usually in the form of hot water or steam, which can be used to produce direct heat for buildings, industry, and agriculture and/or electricity
Ocean Energy	The category refers to new and developing technologies. Tidal power Uses the rise and fall of the Earth’s sea level to generate electricity. The amount of energy that is produced is determined by how high or low the tide rises.
Ocean Energy	Wave power. Uses the energy of the ocean’s surface waves to generate electricity.
Non-Technology specific	Renewable energy technology is not specified and figures and policies refer to renewable energy in general.
Sectors
Electricity sector	The electricity sector includes all entities or establishments that generate, transmit, distribute, or sell electricity, or sell or trade electricity and electricity services and products.
Heating/Cooling	The heating and cooling sector includes all the technologies based on renewable energies, that are used to heat up or cool down water, spaces, or processes be it in households or in the industry.
Transport	Transportation sector: An energy-consuming sector that consists of all vehicles whose primary purpose is transporting people and/or goods from one physical location to another.(add renewable aspect, biofuels)
Other sectors
Rural energy sector	The rural energy sector includes all off-grid energy generated by renewables. It mostly applies to remote areas or low infrastructure areas and can be used for private and productive needs for electricity generation, heating and cooling, and transportation.
Green power	Voluntary purchases of renewable electricity by residential, commercial, government, or industrial customers, either directly from utility companies, from a third-party renewable energy generator, or through the trading of renewable energy certificates (RECs).
Potentials	The RE Potential is an assessment of the renewable energy available, in general in a geographic area. When focussing on the availability of renewable energy sources, it is important to distinguish the type of potential.
Theoretical potential	A measure of the physical capacity of a given environment in terms of the natural and climatic resources available for energy production. This is the most broadly defined level of potentials.
Technical potential	A measure in which the theoretical potential is adjusted to reflect energy production losses due to technical limitations, such as conversion efficiencies.
Economic potential	A measure in which the technical potential is adjusted to reflect cost levels considered economically competitive.
Methodology
IEA
BP
European Commission/European Union/Eurostat