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Alba Otero
Writer“Observe, listen, and reflect” is my journalistic mantra. This philosophy guides me daily and ensures I produce quality journalism. My restlessness has led me explore new areas, such as sustainability and the energy transition, which are crucial to our future. In addition, I’ve also dabbled in street photography, an art that allows me to capture the essence of journalism in action.
Karen Alfaro
WriterCommunications professional with a decade of experience as a copywriter, proofreader, and editor. As a travel and science journalist, I've collaborated with several print and digital outlets around the world. I'm passionate about culture, music, food, history, and innovative technologies.
Last year, renewable energy installations exceeded all expectations. However, until now, there was no clear visual representation of this growth—only comparative data. That has changed.
In short. The Global Renewables Watch project is a map that uses satellite imagery and AI models to track the expansion of solar and wind energy.
Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab developed the initiative in partnership with The Nature Conservancy and Planet Labs PBC. Cornell University helped validate the project.
How it works. With this AI-powered map, experts can identify optimal locations for renewable energy projects, factoring in long-term land availability, electricity infrastructure, and environmental impact. In addition, the project publishes its data on GitHub and follows an open source approach to ensure transparency.
Accelerated growth. A quick look at the platform shows that renewable energy has expanded at an unprecedented rate. China leads the world in installed solar and wind power capacity, with large-scale projects across the country totaling 632,859.61 MW. This is a significant increase from the 270,827.59 MW recorded in the fourth quarter of 2017—an impressive 133.68% rise.
Far behind but still notable is the U.S., with 285,974.11 MW—an increase of 126.63%. The data reflects significant growth in the country, though policies under President Donald Trump slow progress. Meanwhile, in the EU, Germany stands out with 60,042.53 MW. However, its baseline wasn’t as low, starting at 38,151.75 MW. Germany’s growth was expected due to the rise in self-consumption, with more than 500,000 solar panels installed on balconies.
There’s still work to do. One of the biggest challenges is handling massive amounts of data, as the platform processes terabytes of satellite images and thousands of solar and wind forecasts. Additionally, AI algorithms must be continuously validated to ensure the reliability of the data.
Image | Global Renewables Watch
Related | Carbon Capture Hasn’t Taken Off—And Probably Never Will. The Reason: Renewables
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