This paper uses the SCOPUS database for a bibliometric analysis of the renewable energy/sustainable development (RE/SD) field. The study focuses on research trends, performance analysis, and scientific mapping analysis. VOSviewer and Microsoft Excel 365 were used for this bibliometric analysis. The results reveal a rapid growth in publication numbers over the last 15 years, with emerging research areas such as green finance and environmental sustainability. The study identifies influential authors, productive journals, and significant publications from countries and academic institutions. It indicates that China and the USA are the leading countries in terms of publications, with moderate international collaboration. Furthermore, the study observes that “Adebayo, Tomiwa S.” is the most influential author, while “Resources Policy” is the most productive journal about RE/SD. The findings provide valuable insights for future research in this field, emphasizing the critical role of technological innovation in promoting renewable energy and sustainable development. The study recommends comparing the outputs of multiple databases to gain a more comprehensive understanding of research trends in RE/SD.