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These are my recommendations for revising the article: Renewable energy commercialization.


 * I added the correct citation for the picture of Andasol solar power station by adding a second citation that can be used to read the full article. [1]
 * I added the correct citation for the Enhanced Geothermal Systems section by replacing the original citation so that the full article can now be accessed with no problem. [3]
 * I am adding the correct citation for the Top 10 PV Countries in 2014 (MW) section. These are a list of PDF's from the website that i've imputed on [4] they are lengthy but provide a lot of detail for the pictures that were included in Top 10 PV Countries in 2014 (MW) section.
 * I changed a spelling error in the Economic trends section.
 * I changed some spelling errors in the Wind Power section.
 * I changed some spelling errors in Non-technical barriers to acceptance.
 * I changed some spelling errors Public policy landscape section.
 * I changed a spelling error in Renewable energy targets section.
 * I changed the spelling error in "levelling the playing field" section to leveling.


 * I changed spelling error Voluntary market mechanisms for renewable electricity section.
 * I changed spelling error in the Recent developments section.
 * I changed a spelling error in 100% renewable energy section where there is a picture.

Copied content from Renewable energy commercialization; see that page's history for attribution.

The 150 MW Andasol solar power station is a commercial parabolic trough solar thermal power plant, located in Spain. The Andasol plant uses tanks of molten salt to store solar energy so that it can continue generating electricity even when the sun isn't shining.  

Enhanced geothermal systems
, geothermal power development was under way in more than 40 countries, partially attributable to the development of new technologies, such as Enhanced Geothermal Systems. The development of binary cycle power plants and improvements in drilling and extraction technology may enable enhanced geothermal systems over a much greater geographical range than "traditional" Geothermal systems. Demonstration Enhanced Geothermal System projects are operational in the US, Australia, Germany, France, and The United Kingdom.  

Top 10 PV countries in 2014 (MW)

Advanced solar concepts
Beyond the already established solar photovoltaics and solar thermal power technologies are such advanced solar concepts as the solar updraft tower or space-based solar power. These concepts have yet to (if ever) be commercialized.The Solar updraft tower (SUT) is a renewable-energy power plant for generating electricity from low temperature solar heat. Sunshine heats the air beneath a very wide greenhouse-like roofed collector structure surrounding the central base of a very tall chimney tower. The resulting convection causes a hot air updraft in the tower by the chimney effect. This airflow drives wind turbines placed in the chimney updraft or around the chimney base to produce electricity. Plans for scaled-up versions of demonstration models will allow significant power generation, and may allow development of other applications, such as water extraction or distillation, and agriculture or horticulture.

A study on the solar updraft tower and its affects is explained in detail click here

A more advanced version of a similarly themed technology is the Vortex engine (AVE) which aims to replace large physical chimneys with a vortex of air created by a shorter, less-expensive structure.

Economic trends

Hydro-electricity and geothermal electricity produced at favorable sites are now the cheapest way to generate electricity. Renewable energy costs continue to drop, and the levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) is declining for wind power, solar photovoltaic (PV), concentrated solar power (CSP) and some biomass technologies.

Wind power
Some of the second-generation renewables, such as wind power, have high potential and have already realized relatively low production costs. Wind power could become cheaper than nuclear power. Global wind power installations increased by 35,800 MW in 2010, bringing total installed capacity up to 194,400 MW, a 22.5% increase on the 158,700 MW installed at the end of 2009. The increase for 2010 represents investments totaling €47.3 billion (US$65 billion) and for the first time more than half of all new wind power was added outside of the traditional markets of Europe and North America, mainly driven, by the continuing boom in China which accounted for nearly half of all of the installations at 16,500 MW. China now has 42,300 MW of wind power installed. Wind power accounts for approximately 19% of electricity generated in Denmark, 9% in Spain and Portugal, and 6% in Germany and the Republic of Ireland. In Australian state of South Australia wind power, championed by Premier Mike Rann (2002–2011), now comprises 26% of the state's electricity generation, edging out coal fired power. At the end of 2011 South Australia, with 7.2% of Australia's population, had 54%of the nation's installed wind power capacity.

Wind power's share of worldwide electricity usage at the end of 2014 was 3.1%.

These are some of the largest wind farms in the world:

Non-technical barriers to acceptance

"National grids are usually tailored towards the operation of centralized power plants and thus favor their performance. Technologies that do not easily fit into these networks may struggle to enter the market, even if the technology itself is commercially viable. This applies to distributed generation as most grids are not suited to receive electricity from many small sources. Large-scale renewables may also encounter problems if they are sited in areas far from existing grids."

Public policy landscape
Public policy has a role to play in renewable energy commercialization because the free market system has some fundamental limitations. As the Stern Review points out:"In a liberalized energy market, investors, operators and consumers should face the full cost of their decisions. But this is not the case in many economies or energy sectors. Many policies distort the market in favor of existing fossil fuel technologies."

Renewable energy targets

Renewable energy targets in most countries are indicative and non-binding but they have assisted government actions and regulatory frameworks. The United Nations Environment Program has suggested that making renewable energy targets legally binding could be an important policy tool to achieve higher renewable energy market penetration.

Leveling the playing field
The IEA has identified three actions which will allow renewable energy and other clean energy technologies to "more effectively compete for private sector capital".


 * "First, energy prices must appropriately reflect the "true cost" of energy (e.g. through carbon pricing) so that the positive and negative impacts of energy production and consumption are fully taken into account". Example: New UK nuclear plants cost £92.50/MWh, whereas offshore wind farms in the UK are supported with €74.2/MWh at a price of £150 in 2011 falling to £130 per MWh in 2022. In Denmark, the price can be €84/MWh.
 * "Second, inefficient fossil fuel subsidies must be removed, while ensuring that all citizens have access to affordable energy".
 * "Third, governments must develop policy frameworks that encourage private sector investment in lower-carbon energy options".

Voluntary market mechanisms for renewable electricity
The driving factors behind voluntary green electricity within the EU are the liberalized electricity markets and the RES Directive. According to the directive, the EU Member States must ensure that the origin of electricity produced from renewables can be guaranteed and therefore a "guarantee of origin" must be issued (article 15). Environmental organizations are using the voluntary market to create new renewables and improving sustainability of the existing power production. In the US the main tool to track and stimulate voluntary actions is Green-e program managed by Center for Resource Solutions. In Europe the main voluntary tool used by the NGOs to promote sustainable electricity production is EKOenergy label.

Recent developments
United Nations' Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said that "renewable energy has the ability to lift the poorest nations to new levels of prosperity". In October 2011, he "announced the creation of a high-level group to drum up support for energy access, energy efficiency and greater use of renewable energy. The group is to be co-chaired by Kandeh Yumkella, the chair of UN Energy and director general of the UN Industrial Development Organization, and Charles Holliday, chairman of Bank of America".

100% renewable energy
Renewable energy expressed in % of total energy consumption (2015)

