Renewable energy is key to cutting fossil fuels and beating climate change. Our in-depth articles and podcast series dive deep into the history of green energy sources and reveal future innovations that will make them an even greater part of our lives.

Humans have always found ways to harness the power of nature. Now it's more important than ever.

Inspired by the 1973 oil crisis, Henrik Stiesdal built a wind turbine at the age of 16. It was the start of a renewables revolution in his native Denmark, which now generates over half its electricity from wind. We tell the story of the country's march to energy security.

Meanwhile, ancient peoples harnessed solar energy with mirrors. We tell the story of solar's development from Edmond Becquerel's discovery of the photovoltaic effect in the nineteenth century to breakthroughs with silicon by Bell Labs in the 1950s, and a surge during since the 1970s oil crisis. Today, solar energy is among the cheapest electricity sources.

Wind power now produces more energy in Europe than gas. 

Key innovations are driving further expansion, including airborne turbines that harness strong, high-altitude winds and kites and drones for challenging offshore environments. Bigger 15-megawatt turbines are now being developed, and floating wind farms are the leading edge offshore.

Learn about the winds of change cleaning up our energy systems.

Effective storage for renewable sources like solar and wind is crucial. We have to store the energy of the sun and the wind for use when we need it, not just when it's windy or sunny. Thermal storage systems convert electricity into heat or cold stored in mediums like molten salt, which can later be converted back into electricity without emissions. Mechanical storage systems, which use kinetic forces such as rotation or gravity.

Learn about the next revolution in energy that'll take renewables to a whole new level.