The International Energy Agency (IEA) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) have each launched publications aimed at enhancing the use of available energy data maps and statistics by users globally.
The ‘IEA Energy Atlas' provides data for the world and 138 countries in 40 map views.
The IRENA's ‘A World of Renewables' offers information on the agency's Global Atlas for Renewable Energy.
February 2015: The International Energy Agency (IEA) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) have each launched publications aimed at enhancing the use of available energy data maps and statistics by users globally. The ‘IEA Energy Atlas’ provides data for the world and 138 countries in 40 map views. The IRENA’s ‘A World of Renewables’ offers information on the agency’s Global Atlas for Renewable Energy.
The web-based IEA Energy Atlas presents world maps for eight different topics, including carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuel combustion, electricity, energy indicators and renewables, for the period 1973-2012. Each map offers information for five different datasets. For example, the map on renewable energy includes countries’: total energy production from renewables; shares of renewables in total energy production; shares of solid biofuels in renewables production; shares of renewables in the total primary energy supply (TPES); and shares of renewables in electricity generation. In addition, the Energy Atlas features detailed country profiles.
In a 66-page booklet, IRENA presents short summaries of more than 50 datasets hosted by the Global Atlas for Renewable Energy interface. The Atlas, aimed at enabling access to datasets, expertise and financial support for national renewable energy potential evaluations, currently includes resource maps on solar, wind, geothermal, marine and bioenergy. In the future, the initiative aims to provide global coverage of all renewable energy resources.
The dataset extracts presented in the IRENA publication include short descriptions, as well as information on each dataset’s: geographic coverage; source; website and direct access via the Global Atlas; and a link to a detailed description. Datasets presented include: wind maps for Tunisia; solar radiation data from nine stations in Israel; the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) solar and wind maps; potential areas for geothermal energy development in Spain; hydrothermal sites in the US; global land suitability for bioenergy crops; and global tidal currents. [IEA Press Release] [IEA Energy Atlas] [IRENA Publication Webpage] [Publication: A World of Renewables] [IRENA Global Atlas] [IISD RS Story on IRENA Global Atlas]