• • • TRANSFORMERS & SWITCHGEAR • • •


POWERING THE TRANSITION: BUILDING RESILIENCE FOR A RENEWABLE AND CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE


The International Energy Agency (IEA) has called for a tripling of global renewable energy capacity by 2030 to keep climate goals within reach By Adrian Guggisberg, President of Distribution Solutions, ABB


his ambition is reshaping how we produce, distribute, and consume electricity, with renewables now central to the energy mix. In 2024, solar energy took centre stage in driving global renewable capacity growth, with wind power also continuing to expand its share. According to the IEA’s ‘Renewables 2024’ report, solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity is expected to more than triple between 2024 and 2030, accounting for nearly 80 per cent of all new renewable capacity additions worldwide, driven largely by utility-scale installations.


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But the transition to clean energy doesn’t stop at generation. Behind the scenes, a less visible, but equally critical, transformation is underway: the evolution of grid infrastructure that delivers electricity to homes, businesses and entire industries.


The grid is lagging behind Today’s grids were not designed for a decentralised, digital and decarbonised world. Traditional grids were built for a different era. one of centralised, predictable power generation.


Electricity flowed one way, from a handful of large power plants to millions of passive consumers. That model no longer works. Today’s grid must handle electricity moving in multiple directions, from solar panels on rooftops and offshore wind farms to industrial microgrids feeding power back into the system. These sources are often variable and weather-dependent, which makes power flow much harder to predict and control.


At the same time, the electrical energy demand is rising as we convert energy consumers that


32 ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • OCTOBER 2025


electricalengineeringmagazine.co.uk


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