Have any countries achieved 100% renewable power?

This article is published in collaboration with Quartz.

In a few places around the world, humans have achieved a feat that seemed impossible just a few years ago, and still seems inconceivable nearly everywhere else: They’ve stopped burning fossil fuels for electricity.

So who is producing the most power from renewable sources, and how are they doing it? The areas that go 100% renewable tend to combine two factors: great natural resources (like the terrain needed for hydropower) and small populations (getting power to everyone is easier when there are only a few million of them). Others might not be quite at 100% yet—but are taking impressive steps towards it.

Costa Rica

A small country in both land mass and population, Costa Rica made headlines in March when it emerged that the country had been running on only renewable energy for 75 days of 2015, after heavy rains souped-up its hydropower schemes. Running a country on renewables for a stint (even a long one) isn’t the same as having a steady system that fulfills all a country’s needs, but it’s still impressive.

Other countries with great hydropower capacity include Albania, Afghanistan and Lesotho. A test for many of them in the future will be finding ways to develop their economies without a sudden ramp up in fossil fuel use.

Denmark (sometimes)

A leader in wind power, Denmark produces enough power from its turbines for 40% of its (small) population—unusual for a developed country with high energy needs. But Denmark also exemplifies the “intermittent” nature of renewables which can make them tricky to incorporate into grids built for steady, reliable energy streams. On some windy days this year, Denmark produced as much as 140% of its own needs. The excess is exported, when possible, but better storage would make the excess even more valuable.

Lower Austria

Austria’s largest state announced this year that it had achieved a goal of 100% renewable power by harnessing the power of the Danube, and supplementing that hydropower with solar and biomass. It now runs carbon free. The rest of the country also does well in comparison to many of its European neighbors.

Norway and Iceland

Natural resources helped both these countries achieve close to 100% renewable power, years ago: Iceland mainly through geothermal heat, and Norway through hydropower.

A bunch of islands

Island nations are some of the most vulnerable to climate change, but their geography makes renewable energy an obvious choice. Surrounding waters can be used for ocean energy or offshore wind, while the alternatives aren’t great: on-site power plants, imported fuel, and expensive undersea cables.

Germany

Though nowhere near 100% renewable, Germany deserves a mention. On its best day in 2015, Germany produced 78% of its total electricity needs from renewables, thanks to a massive program of building and investment undertaken as part of the country’s “Energiewende”, or energy transformation, aimed at moving the nation away from both fossil fuels and nuclear.

Publication does not imply endorsement of views by the World Economic Forum.

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Author: Cassie Werber is based in the UK where she writes about renewable energy, politics and society, management and the arts for Quartz.

Image: An offshore wind farm stands in the water near the Danish island of Samso. Concerns about energy security may run high elsewhere in Europe, but on the windswept Danish island of Samso the inhabitants have achieved a decade-long target of self-sufficiency in renewable power. REUTERS/Bob Strong.