From nuclear reactors to photovoltaics, clean and renewable energy is as hot a topic as any, with numerous players striving for scalability across the sector to lessen reliance on fossil fuels. IDTechEx's portfolio of Energy & Decarbonization Research Reports and Subscriptions is home to the most recent research across a number of renewable technology types and decarbonization strategies.
Is widespread nuclear energy feasible?
Nuclear small modular reactors (SMRs) have the potential to provide a source of clean nuclear energy that is cheaper, safer, and better suited to a wider variety of applications, including data centers. With their smaller size and ability to accommodate more advanced designs, SMRs can also provide increased flexibilities when compared to traditional power plants. They also have the potential to bring about economical scalability with increased feasibility of part transportation, and cheaper costs than with bigger on-site projects when deployed on a large scale.
SMRs can allow for a broader distribution of nuclear power, meaning these smaller nuclear fission reactors can create a more widespread coverage of clean energy, despite generating less energy than large nuclear reactors. Alongside decarbonization goals, energy security, data center expansion, and technology innovations are other huge drivers for the growth of nuclear power. IDTechEx identifies, however, that the discussion around SMR technology is varied, with many believing it has a huge role to play in achieving a net-zero grid, while others believe it to be too costly for this to be feasible. SMRs will still require a large amount of government support and need to be deployed at a large scale for the best results, according to IDTechEx's report, "Nuclear Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) Market 2026-2046: Technologies, Players, Benchmarking, Forecasts", meaning there is still a long way to go for this particular clean energy sector.
The benefits of fusion energy
Nuclear fusion, one type of nuclear energy, is the process of two or more atomic nuclei fusing to create one or more nuclei and neutrons and occurs naturally in stars. It can provide a continuous source of clean energy while being non-damaging to the environment, producing no carbon emissions. In fact, byproducts of nuclear fusion, including high-energy neutron sources, can be used in aerospace testing and the production of medical isotopes, meaning this energy process can actually be beneficial to wider markets. IDTechEx's report, "Fusion Energy Market 2025-2045: Technologies, Players, Timelines", states that as of 2025, over US$9.6 billion has been invested in private fusion companies to date, highlighting its potential to be a huge contributor to the future energy market.
Other avenues to clean energy
Elsewhere in the renewable energy space, blue hydrogen is making a name for itself as a means of utilizing existing infrastructures to create hydrogen but ensuring that the CO2 emissions are captured and stored using CCUS technologies. This process can help sectors which are hard to decarbonize, such as iron and steel, cement, and chemical manufacturing, achieve a lower carbon footprint and reduce emissions across their manufacturing processes. IDTechEx's report, "Blue Hydrogen Production and Markets 2026-2036: Technologies, Forecasts, Players", states that in 2025, the global hydrogen use was over 100 Mtpa, highlighting strong demand that is only predicted to keep increasing. A step up from blue hydrogen is green hydrogen where water electrolysis is used to generate hydrogen in a zero-emission process. Green hydrogen production is costly, due to the necessary equipment, and is therefore less likely to see as quick an uptake.
Harnessing the sun's energy through solar devices has always been one of the most prevalent and obvious solutions for renewable energy generation, and it continues to grow with the help of multiple investments and government initiatives. New materials entering the photovoltaic market, such as perovskite, can help to reduce the weight of the devices and bring flexibility and means of wider spread applications. IDTechEx's report, "Perovskite Photovoltaic Market 2025-2035: Technologies, Players & Trends", covers perovskite technologies and their main application areas, alongside the role that perovskite plays in enhancing silicon solar panels and increasing efficiency. However, problems with intermittency associated with solar energy can prevent it from being an optimum option for some applications, where a constant, uninterrupted energy source is needed, meaning solar will likely work best alongside other energy sources.
For more information on clean and renewable energy technologies, visit IDTechEx's portfolio of Energy & Decarbonization Research Reports and Subscriptions for the latest developments and research into main players and forecasts across the market.
