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Indicating a jump in the world’s focus on harnessing the boundless potential of solar energy, its global capacity is set to overtake nuclear energy by the end of this year.
Green Tech Media data says the 81 gigawatts solar energy production expected this year are more than double the amount of solar capacity installed in 2014, and as much as 32 times more solar deployed a decade ago.
Research published in the Global Solar Demand Monitor, which, according to GTM closely tracks market-moving and market-dooming developments in countries around the world, say the fast-paced adoption of solar power in terms of global gigawatt capacity will rivals that of nuclear power by the end of 2017.
Some experts predict that solar could be the world’s largest source of energy by 2050.
The World Economic Forum, meanwhile, reports that solar power will reach a capacity of roughly 390 gigawatts this year.
According to Nuclear Energy Institute the world currently has 391.5 gigawatts of nuclear plants.
Nevertheless, a WEF report says nuclear energy is still well ahead of solar in terms of electricity generated, outputting 2,476,671 gigawatt-hours compared to solar’s 375,000.
That being said, the International Energy Agency projects that solar could feasibly become the world’s largest source of energy by 2050 due to its falling cost and increasing convenience, a report on the World Economic Forum website says.
