New Study: Growth of Solar Energy Underestimated

The growth of solar energy has been grossly underestimated in the results of the models of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Costs have dropped and infrastructures expanded much faster than even the most optimistic models had assumed.

Photovoltaic power plant
© Fraunhofer ISE
Photovoltaic power plant

A new study by the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC) shows that in 2050, the percentage of photovoltaics in the global power supply could be three times higher than previously projected. According to the study, supported by scientists of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE and published in the journal Nature Energy, the share of solar energy will likely range between 30 and 50 percent, instead of 5 to 17 percent, as suggested before – even if the global demand for electricity continues to rise.

Please find the complete press release of the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC) here.

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