- Solar energy and other renewables are making rapid progress and are expected to grow even more in the future.
- By 2050, 50 percent of the world’s energy needs will be taken care of by renewable energy, with solar power at its forefront.
- China is one of the biggest contributors to this prospect and expectation.
- This growth means the decline of traditional fossil fuel electricity
Solar energy is one of the fastest growing types of resource right now and it has only relatively begun. To put it bluntly, we have not even scratched the surface of what solar energy has to offer to our society. The past decade bore witness to incredible and rapid advancements in the field of solar energy, these can be calculated in terms of pricing and technology.
This progress happened despite numerous institutions, factions, and other factors serving to act as a barrier to impede the solar industry. Regardless, the human race is on its way to fully realizing the potential of the solar industry. It’s also not just solar power which is making leaps and strides, other renewable energy types such as wind are also making good progress.
Suffice to say, this year has been relatively good for renewable energy in general. It also does not end there as analysts and critics state that solar power and other renewable energy types are about to have a surge in the foreseeable future.
2050 and beyond…
The situation for solar power in the U.S. may have taken quite a turn for the worst, a lot of things actually offset that predicament for the solar industry. For one, there is the Trump administration tariff on foreign-made solar panels which seeks to enforce a 30 percent tax on imported solar panels. This was offset by the glut of the solar panels made by China this year.
So it can be safe to say that the solar industry for the U.S. is still very much viable and a good market for the industry. The U.S. solar industry, however, pales in comparison to other developed countries which have fully embraced the prospect of solar power. Countries like China and Germany are making more progress in the name of renewable energy than the U.S. right now and this is a good thing for almost all sectors of society.
Hence, progress such as that, and even perhaps the progress of solar power in the U.S. have led to bright and positive predictions for other renewables as a whole. Of course, we all know by know that solar power is the leading form of renewable energy in the world, so that means most of the effort is being shouldered by the solar industry.
As such, by 2050, experts predict that 50 percent of the world’s energy needs will be from solar power. That is quite a huge number and should even make way for a cleaner and greener environment. Of course, that prediction is assuming that the rate at which the solar industry and the solar market is advancing remains constant and unhindered significantly.
China takes the lead, statistically
This prediction that solar power will take care of 50 percent of the world’s energy needs came from Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Right now, and as per Bloomberg’s reports, China is the leading country in terms of solar power, producing the most solar panels in the world compared to any other country.
Coupled with the equally advancing developments for power storage, solar panels are on their way to fulfill the predictions set by Bloomberg. Of course, China will apparently play a big part in this because of their zeal and capacity for manufacturing and mass producing solar panels. By 2050, China will probably be still at the forefront of renewable and solar energy.
As per expert predictions, China’s energy production by the year 2050 will reach 1,137 gigawatts of electricity for solar power, coupled with 1,003 gigawatts more from wind power amounts to 2 terawatts (1000 gigawatts = 1 terawatt) of power. Currently, the world consumes about 15 terawatts of energy, meaning China will already have covered 2 terawatts of those.
More countries producing comparable amounts of energy would certainly be enough to cover at least half of all the human energy needs in the world. As for the cost of solar and wind power plants compared to traditional coal or oil power plants, they are also expected to be much lower come 2028, meaning traditional fossil fuel power plants may very well become obsolete in the near future.
More solar, fewer fossil fuels
The implications of such progress are huge, especially for the environment. As for the coal industry, including coal power plants, they are expected to experience a sharp decline somewhere between 2020 and 2050. The number ranges from 62 percent to 16 percent, which is significant either way.
The amount of pollution that this decline can reduce is also significant enough to have an impact on saving the environment. It is a well-known fact that power plants which burn coal, oil, or natural gas for electricity produce a lot of carbon dioxide (CO2) as emissions which add to the harmful greenhouse gases, causing global warming. Not to mention power plants also cause a lot of water pollution since these hot power sources need coolants.
Now, for the population of cities, people could very well start seeing the effects of less pollution. This eventually results in a healthier populace and a happier community. Of course, there is also the fact that solar energy and other renewables reduce the cost of electricity by a considerable amount.
All that is left for the fossil fuel energy resource industry is to acknowledge the potential of renewable energy. Every year, the relevance and importance of solar and renewable energy are getting harder to deny. Simply asking a neighbor who uses solar power could convince you, the same goes for business owners.
What this means for everyone
People who are still on the fence regarding the switch to solar power need not worry anymore regarding the viability of the resource. Renewable energy is the future, even experts have said so. Not only is solar power good for reducing electricity bills or acting as a reserve power, but it is also good for the environment as a whole, which means the benefits are double for human beings.
Rest assured, the solar industry is one of the most secure and growing markets right now. It will be around for decades, even centuries more as a practical alternative to fossil fuel energy. Here at SunPower by Ecosolar USA we invite you to join the solution, we do understand your hesitation to switch to solar energy, however. That is why we have plans for specific financial limitations and thresholds.
As always, feel free to check the rest of the website for information on how to make the switch to solar or what benefits and rewards await you whenever you make the right decision.