'The king of electricity': Solar outshines other power sources | Economy News | Al Jazeera
By: Reuters
Solar power is set to overtake coal as the world's main electricity source by 2025, International Energy Agency says
It feels to me like this movement has finally gotten on track.
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
almost 30 percent in 2030 from 8 percent in 2019, according to the International Energy Agency
Third party/Reuters
The International Energy Agency says solar generators are cheaper than new coal- or gas-fired power plants in most countries.
The combined share of solar photovoltaic and wind energy in global power generation will rise to almost 30 percent in 2030 from 8 percent in 2019, according to the International Energy Agency [File: Third party/Reuters]13 Oct 2020
Solar output is expected to lead a surge in renewable power supply in the next 10 years, the International Energy Agency said, with renewables seen accounting for 80 percent of growth in global electricity generation under current conditions.
In its annual World Energy Outlook published on Tuesday, the IEA said in its central scenario - which reflects policy intentions and targets already announced - renewables are expected to overtake coal as the primary means of producing electricity by 2025.
The combined share of solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind in global generation will rise to almost 30 percent in 2030 from 8 percent in 2019, it said, with solar PV capacity growing by an average 12 percent a year.
"I see solar becoming the new king of the world's electricity markets," IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said. "Based on today's policy settings, it is on track to set new records for deployment every year after 2022."
Maturing technology and government support mechanisms have cut financing costs for major solar PV projects, the IEA said, helping to bring down output costs overall. Solar PV is now cheaper than new coal- or gas-fired power plants in most countries, it said.
Power generation from renewables is the only significant source of energy that continued to grow in 2020, the Paris-based agency added.
A more ambitious scenario, including for instance the adoption of net-zero emissions targets by 2050, would see PV electricity generation perform more strongly still, the report said.
Despite the increase in solar and wind power, carbon emissions are projected to pick up in 2021 after a 2.4 gigatonne (Gt) drop in 2020, and to exceed 2019 levels in 2027 before growing to 36 Gt in 2030, it added.
The IEA said gaps remain in many cases between long-term ambitions and specific near-term plans to curb emissions.
Integrating new wind and solar power will depend on adequate investment in all parts of the system, including distribution networks, the report added.
But revenue shortfalls - potentially arising from lower-than-expected demand, non-payment of bills, or the deteriorating finances of utilities in developing economies - could make power grids a weak link.
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We're seeing all sorts of "green" ideas taking shape. Wind-driven cargo ships and ferries...
So essentially sail boats LOL? The more things change the more they stay the same.
"What goes around, comes around."
The ships' sails are rigid, but hey! They're still sails!
The movie "Waterworld" comes to mind LOL
A cleverly worded article:
Most countries ..... MOST countries. I'll surmise "most countries" means largely underdeveloped countries with little to no power generation per capita right now. This little tidbit seems to support that thought:
So little existing infrastructure, few existing power plants coal or otherwsie, few existing customer base, sparse transmission infrastructure, etc, etc. Off course solar would be much cheaper in those cases.
Gotta love the greenies for trying thought ...... next.
The seed gives readers lots of numbers. You give none.
I don't know much about the subject, but the seed is certainly much more convincing than you.
Well that was rude........................I thought you didn't like rude?
Please don't do meta here. Use the Group page. Thank you.
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