physics

REN21

REN21 is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand REN21 rather than just read about it. In short: REN21 (Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century) is a policy network and a multistakeholder governance group focused on renewable energy policy. REN21's goal is to facilitate policy development, knowledge exchange, and joint action towards a rapid global transition to renewable energy.

Key takeaways

REN21 belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect REN21 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of REN21 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

REN21 (Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century) is a policy network and a multistakeholder governance group focused on renewable energy policy. REN21's goal is to facilitate policy development, knowledge exchange, and joint action towards a rapid global transition to renewable energy. REN21 brings together governments, non-governmental organisations, research and academic institutions, international organisations, and industry to learn from one another and advance the adoption of renewable energy. To assist policy decision-making, REN21 provides knowledge about what is happening now in the renewable energy sector and how the latest trends will impact future developments. REN21 facilitates the collection of information on renewable energy. It does this through six products: the Renewables Global Status Report (GSR), regional status reports, global futures reports (GFR), thematic reports, the REN21 Renewables Academy, and the International Renewable Energy Conference (IREC) series. The REN21 Secretariat is based in Paris, France, and is a registered non-profit association under German law (e.V.). The organisation has more than 100 member organisations as of 2024 and over 4000 active community members.

History REN21 was launched in June 2004 as an outcome of the International Conference for Renewable Energies in Bonn, Germany. Paul Hugo Suding, was the first executive secretary upon REN21's formation in 2006. He was succeeded by Virginia Sonntag O'Brien (2008–2011), Christine Lins (2011–2018), and Rana Adib (2018–present).

Publications

Renewables Global Status Report (GSR)

The Renewables Global Status Report (GSR) is the most frequently referenced report on the subject of the renewable energy market, industry, and policy trends. This annual report, which has been produced since 2005 details the current status of the deployment of renewable technologies globally, covering the energy sector (power, heating and cooling and transport), reporting on policy development, the energy industry, investment and markets. The report is based on data and information contributed by the REN21 member network of more than 900 experts and researchers from around the world and undergoes an open peer-review process. The report illustrates that, while transformation in the power sector with renewables is picking up speed, urgent action is required in heating, cooling, and transport.

The 2021 GSR report found that the share of fossil fuels had not changed in the last decade, with fossil fuels accounting for 80.3% of total final energy use (TFEC) in 2009 versus 80.2% in 2019. Furthermore, the report highlighted that only 5 G20 countries had set targets for the share of renewable energy, with only 3 on track to reach their goals (EU-27, Germany, Italy). Alongside these findings, the organisation called for renewable energy to be a key performance indicator (KPI) in all economic activity. The GSR report is complemented by a Perspectives Report that presents overarching trends and developments. It outlines what is happening to drive the transition to renewable energy and details why it is not happening fast enough or as fast as possible. This document draws extensively on the data found in the GSR. It is available in multiple languages.

Regional Reports The Regional Status Report series focuses on the progress of renewable energy deployment in specific regions. This report series encourages and supports regional data collection as well as informed decision making. Regional status reports have been produced since 2009 and include: China (2009), India (2010), the Middle East and Northern Africa (MENA, 2009), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS, 2014), the Southern African Development Community (SADC, 2015, 2018), the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE, 2015, 2017), and the East African Community (EAC, 2016).

Thematic Spotlight In its Thematic Spotlight report series, REN21 looks at a certain topics in-depth. Past reports include a publication on mini-grid policies, a ten-year overview of renewable energy developments, tendering and community power in Latin America and the Caribbean, an overview of renewable energy policies in a time of transition (produced with the IEA and IRENA), as well as a publication on decarbonising transport in the G20.

Global Futures Report (GFR) The Global Futures Report (GFR) series presents expert views and perspectives on the feasibility and challenges of achieving a world fed by renewable energy. The 2017 report documents global views about the feasibility of achieving a 100% renewable energy future by mid-century. The GFR does not include any forecasts; rather it aims to spur debate about opportunities and challenges of a 100% renewable future.

Renewables in Cities Global Status Report (REC) REN21 is currently developing a Renewables in Cities Global Status Report series, which will describe current developments and trends of renewable energy in cities. By offering fact-based evidence, the cities report will be a tool for various stakeholders to inform regulatory frameworks, support city-level commitments, and facilitate better multi-level integration to help shape the debate on cities' transitioning to renewable energy. The second report was released in 2021.

REN21 Academy In order to bring together its contributor community, REN21 holds its Renewables Academy. These events offer an environment for contributing new ideas on issues central to the renewable-energy transformation. REN21's first Renewables Academy was held in 2014, in Bonn, Germany, with 150 participants from 40 countries. Discussions focused on identifying policy drivers needed to advance a global energy transition took place over four plenary sessions and six parallel sessions. The second Renewables Academy took place in 2018, in Berlin, Germany, with over 160 members from 80 countries meeting to discuss how to accelerate the energy transformation. In 6 plenary sessions, 7 parallel sessions, and 3 workshops, participants collectively addressed complementary themes such as heat, transport, and energy systems 2.0.

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

REN21 logo

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with REN21

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what REN21 claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to REN21 before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about REN21 ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of REN21

In research: REN21 appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses REN21 in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: REN21 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics International renewable energy organizations, Non-governmental organizations, Organizations established in 2005, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for REN21 outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study REN21 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what REN21 means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain REN21 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is REN21 in simple terms?

Why does REN21 matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study REN21?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on REN21.