Renewables are on the rise. With increased efforts to combat climate change, renewables have emerged as the key tool, resulting in considerable increases in installed capacity, particularly in hydropower. Renewables did unexpectedly well in 2020, despite the economic crisis and a significant pandemic effect, thanks to renewable-energy favorable energy regulations, improving technologies, and lowering costs.

In this report, over 22,000 patent applications filed worldwide between 2011 and 2021 in the field of hydropower were examined.