Document summary
The expansion of renewable energy capacities continued at a brisk pace during 2009, despite the challenging environment. The mature technologies of wind and solar energy are currently going through significant changes that are resulting in the structural consolidation of the market. With highly automated mass production, these technologies are therefore achieving the type of low cost structure they need to make them less reliant on state support. Thanks to these improvements, the future prospects for renewable energies still look very bright. Increased involvement by energy utility companies should also help to overcome the challenges presented by power grid integration and stabilisation. Other technologies, such as ocean and geothermal power, are relatively young but are poised to further increase their share of the renewables market. The biofuel industry is also counting on the development of environmentally friendly and socially compatible technologies of the second and third generation.