Importance of solar energy underestimated by a factor of three

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

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, published in the journal Nature Energy ("The underestimated potential of solar energy to mitigate climate change"), 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....   ...more