About this report
Governments are increasingly looking to diversify their energy mix beyond simply fossil fuels. While wind energy is developing towards a mainstream, competitive and reliable technology, a range of barriers can delay progress, such as financing, grid integration, social acceptance and aspects of planning processes. National and regional technology roadmaps can play a key role in supporting wind energy development and implementation, helping countries to identify priorities and pathways tailored to local resources and markets. Recognising this, the IEA has started the How2Guides – a new series co-ordinated by the International Low-Carbon Energy Technology Platform to address the need for more focused guidance in the development of national roadmaps, or strategies, for specific low-carbon technologies. The How2Guide for Wind Energy shares wind specific recommendations on how to address the four phases to developing and implementing a wind energy roadmap: Planning; Visioning; Development; and Implementation. The manual also offers menus of recommendations on policy and technical options for deployment of utility-scale wind energy installations, as well as a matrix of barriers-versus-realistic solutions options that is cross-listed with considerations such as planning, development, electricity market and system, infrastructure, and finance and economics.