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Integrating Variable Renewable Energy in Kenya
…system amid rising shares of variable renewable energy (VRE). The report identifies Kenya’s system to be operating in Phase 3 of the IEA’s VRE integration framework, where variability increasingly influences system operations. It explores the key challenges that lie ahead and how three mutually reinforcing pillars - open access, flexibility and storage, and ancillary services - can support the development of a reliable, secure and sustainable electricity system. The analysis highlights that increasing generation capacity alone will not be sufficient to address existing and emerging system pressures. Adapting market, regulatory and operational frameworks will be equally important to deliver a…
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Battery Circularity
…topic from governments. International patenting related to battery circularity grew by 42% per year on average from 2017 to 2023, across technology categories such as those for the collection and sorting of used batteries, mechanical processing, and treatments to recover valuable metals such as lithium, nickel, cobalt and copper from end-of-life batteries. As a potentially important secondary supply of critical battery materials, recycling will compete with primary supplies and the report also finds that innovation landscape for converting primary mined ore to battery-critical metals to be dynamic. However, there is lower growth in refining compared with recycling.
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Energy System Resilience
…resilience – focuses on systems’ ability to cope with events exceeding standard planning conditions. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukraine has worked to protect its energy sector and to increase its ability to withstand and rapidly recover from Russia’s attacks on its energy infrastructure. The report explores the lessons that Ukraine has been learning as it works to bolster system resilience and identifies measures that apply to a range of high-impact events – such as cyberattacks, physical attacks on infrastructure, extreme and severe weather, and unexpected infrastructure failures – and can in turn be adopted by policymakers and…
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Energy Efficiency Policy Toolkit
The Energy Efficiency Policy Toolkit is an interactive online tool that has been updated and expanded ahead of the 11th Annual Global Conference on Energy Efficiency in Montreal, Canada. It aims to support governments in designing and implementing effective energy efficiency measures by combining policies across three core pillars: regulation, information and incentives. It also features a wide range of case studies, offering practical insights into the successful implementation of energy efficiency policies across diverse national and sectoral contexts.The Toolkit builds on earlier IEA work to advance energy efficiency policy. In 2022, the IEA introduced Policy Packages for Energy…
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Vehicle software and software-defined vehicles
GEVO 2026 - Chapter 8 The transition from mechanical to software-based vehicle control has been underway for decades and has accelerated dramatically with the rise of EVs. Pure-play EV makers have pioneered the shift towards high-level, continuously updateable software-based vehicle control, speeding up the development and rollout of new features. Vehicles are evolving into software platforms for which users can access subscription‑based premium features, in the same way as for smartphones. A new design paradigm is emerging, with EVs at the forefront The digital transformation of the car industry is most evident in the emergence of software…
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Ultra-fast charging batteries
…of the current, it reduces them by 75%.An electric vehicle battery pack is composed of hundreds or thousands of battery cells, each typically operating at a voltage of around 3-4 volts (V). These cells can be connected in series or in parallel, with series configurations increasing the overall pack voltage to the required level. Most battery electric cars on the market today operate with battery systems of around 400 V, which has long been considered a suitable compromise between charging performance and battery pack complexity, cost and reliability. However, the increasing availability of ultra‑fast charging infrastructure, alongside improvements in…
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Autonomous vehicles
GEVO 2026 - Chapter 8 Progress in AI and computing power is disproportionately benefiting EVs, particularly for automated driving and integrated vehicle control. Sensors and chips integrate well with the stable, high-voltage power supply of EV batteries. Electric vehicles lead in automation and advanced driver assistance Driving automation is at the forefront of software developments for cars today. While fully autonomous cars (Level 5 automation)) are not currently in sight, electric driverless taxis (Level 4) are already operating commercially in more than 20 cities worldwide. Moreover, automated driving systems are not limited to self-driving cars – they are also rapidly gaining…
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Artificial intelligence and EVs
GEVO 2026 - Chapter 8 Progress in AI and computing power is disproportionately benefiting EVs, particularly for automated driving and integrated vehicle control. Sensors and chips integrate well with the stable, high-voltage power supply of EV batteries. At the same time, the benefits of AI and increased computing power are not exclusive to EVs. AI‑enabled energy management systems are increasingly used to optimise hybrid vehicles, and AI techniques are accelerating the design, testing and optimisation of all vehicles. Advances in AI underpin progress in autonomous vehicles Just two decades ago, state-of-the-art autonomous vehicles were confined to test…