Here are some of the top technology inventions and innovations for renewable energy in 2022:
• Solar – Perovskite solar cells showed significant efficiency gains and the potential to surpass silicon solar panels. New module designs also increased power output.
• Wind – Larger wind turbines with blade lengths up to 250 meters andhub heights up to 250 meters significantly increased power generation per turbine.
• Batteries – Sodium-ion batteries emerged as a promising lower-cost alternative to lithium-ion. Other innovations aimed to improve battery life, energy density and charging times.
• Green hydrogen – Electrolyzers for producing green hydrogen from renewable power saw costs reduced by around 30%. However, infrastructure buildout is still at an early stage.
• Carbon capture – Direct air capture technologies to remove CO2 from the atmosphere advanced, though high costs remain a barrier to large-scale deployment.
• Geothermal – Enhanced geothermal systems that stimulate underground reservoirs to produce more heat showed promising results and the potential for baseload renewable power.
• Floating offshore wind – The first commercial-scale floating offshore wind farms came online in 2022, opening up vast new areas for offshore wind generation.
• Green ammonia – Technologies for producing ammonia as an emissions-free fuel using renewable hydrogen and nitrogen showed continued progress. Ammonia is seen as a potential chemical battery.
The major innovations for renewable energy in 2022 centered around new materials and designs to increase the efficiency and output of solar panels, wind turbines and batteries. Emerging technologies like hydrogen electrolyzers, enhanced geothermal and direct air capture also progressed, though challenges around infrastructure, costs and scalability remain.
