The Big Push For Solar Worldwide

5 min read

Staff writer

Depending on who you ask, most people agree that solar power is the most logical source of renewable energy and that the whole world should be using as much of it as they possibly can. Fortunately, there is a major push around the world for solar to be widely adopted.

The push comes from countries who want to reduce their environmental impact, countries that want to dominate solar production/installation, and countries that want to reduce their reliance on imported fossil fuels.

The Big Push In Each Continent

North America

In the US, countless venture capitalist firms are pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into companies in the solar industry. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the US solar industry employs more than 260 000 people in the country and creates jobs 17 times quicker than the country’s average.

Canada and Mexico are also contributing greatly to the global push for solar, as well as working with America to increase solar in their own countries. The IRENA Innovation Day virtual event took place in Canada from the 23^rd to the 24^th of March and was organised together with the Natural Resources Canada.

Asia

Home to the largest producer and consumer of solar energy and solar products, Asia is pushing for renewable energies such as solar to become available for all as well as cost and energy efficient. The World Energy Council states that their Asian regional network members meet up every month in addition to holding workshops throughout the year. They also state that Asia has set up regional energy organisations such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to finance solar projects, the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation to promote free trade of solar products and services within the region, and the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan to pave the path for the research and development of solar technologies in the region.

In 2020 China announced their plan to become carbon neutral before 2060 as they continue to invest aggressively in solar with the country accounting for over a third of the world’s solar capacity.

Europe

Based on current market trends, BloombergNEF estimates that by 2040 solar could cater for 20% of the EU’s electricity demand. The EU funds research ventures that find new ways to lower the cost of production and installation of solar products. As concentrated solar power (CSP) suits the semi-arid land of Europe, they lean more towards supporting and funding CSP projects, favouring the most efficient and innovative projects. They also seek to reduce technological risk by backing large installations and financing novel plants. The EU has also got multiple funding programmes, job and partnership opportunities, as well as scientific publications and databases free for the public to access.

South America & the Caribbean

The Regional Action Plan for Latin America, which detects key obstacles in renewable energy generation in the region, will likely aid the region in building reliable long-lasting solar plants. In 2020, Latin American countries jointly vowed to reach a 70% renewable energy use by 2030. Chile has ongoing solar projects in the Atacama Desert, where it is estimated that covering 4% of its surface with solar panels could power the whole of Chile. Meanwhile, 60% of Colombia’s renewable energy projects are solar projects, and investment firm MPC Capital announced that they would raise $90 million for the construction of renewable energy plants in the Caribbean to maximise the present sunlight all year round.

Pacific Region

In December 2019 the ADB revealed that they plan to invest $1 billion in renewable energy in the Pacific territories. As the Pacific enjoys a large amount of sun throughout the year along with their large water resource, it is logical that most of this investment is geared towards solar and wind farms.

In other parts of the Pacific, New Zealand’s latest solar project is said to have the capacity to power 30 000 homes, while having enough left over for planes to stop and recharge as it will be situated along the Christchurch Airport runway. This is New Zealand’s largest solar project to date and will cost $100 million, taking up the equivalent of 262 rugby fields.

Down under, in Australia, a record number of homes had solar installed on their rooftops, with now 1 in 4 Australian homes generating solar. This puts Australia on course to add 24 GW more of rooftop solar by 2030.

Middle East

With 3 of the 5 largest solar farms in the world located in India, it comes as no surprise that they deserve mentioning. The Indian government set a target to have 20 GW of solar installed by 2022 but surpassed that figure 4 years ahead of time, gauging 50.3 GW at the end of January 2022. India also has the largest solar power plant in the world – Bhadla Solar Park – putting out 2.25 GW. Bhadla took the title in June 2021 from Sweihan Power Project in Abu Dhabi, which produces 938 MW_AC.

Abu Dhabi aims to fit 5.6 GW of solar by 2026 and Dubai plans to produce 75% of its electricity from renewable energy, mainly solar, by 2050.

Africa

Home to the largest CSP plant in the world (Ivanpah Solar Power Facility in Morocco), Africa has shown consistent growth in solar installation. The World Bank’s Lighting Global Programme mentioned in their ‘Market Trends Report 2020’ that most of the world’s off-grid market is in Sub-Saharan Africa. Various countries from around the world are pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into Africa for solar projects as the continent enjoys some of the most intense sunlight known to man alongside having a huge shortage of electricity.

World leaders have collectively pledged $400 billion for renewable energy projects and planned to keep incentivising investment in renewable energy projects.

Click here for a logical summary on how much of the world’s energy comes from renewable sources Renewable Energy - Our World in Data

What do you think of the big global push for solar energy? Do you think it will help make our world cleaner and more energy efficient? Let us know in the comments below!

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