WHERE WORLD SOLAR IS GOING

How solar energy could be the largest source of electricity by mid-century; To achieve that vision, IEA reports call for clear, credible consistent signals from policy makers

29 Sept. 2014 (International Energy Agency)

“The sun could be the world’s largest source of electricity by 2050, ahead of fossil fuels, wind, hydro and nuclear, according to…International Energy Agency (IEA) technology roadmaps [that] show how solar photovoltaic (PV) systems could generate up to 16% of the world’s electricity by 2050 while solar thermal electricity (STE) from concentrating solar power (CSP) plants could provide an additional 11%. Combined, these solar technologies could prevent…more than all current energy-related CO2 emissions from the United States or almost all of the direct emissions from the transport sector worldwide…

“…[T]he two reports do not represent a forecast…[but] detail the expected technology improvement targets and the policy actions required to achieve that vision by 2050, highlighting priority actions and milestones for governments, research and industry stakeholders…The two documents underline the complementary role of the two technologies. With 137 GW of capacity installed worldwide at the end of 2013 and adding up to 100 MW each day, PV deployment so far has been much faster than that of STE, mainly thanks to massive cost reductions…[After 2030,] PV starts to lose value in wholesale markets. Massive-scale STE deployment takes off at this stage thanks to CSP plants’ built-in thermal storage, which allows for generation of electricity when demand peaks in late afternoon and in the evening, thus complementing PV generation…” click here for more

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