Solar power generation latest news

Could solar power be a revolution?

It could lead to lower-cost, more efficient systems for powering homes, cars, boats and drones. The solar energy world is ready for a revolution. Scientists are racing to develop a new type of solar cell using materials that can convert electricity more efficiently than today's panels.

Are solar panels the future of electricity?

Panels now occupy an area around half that of Wales, and this year they will provide the world with about 6% of its electricity—which is almost three times as much electrical energy as America consumed back in 1954. Yet this historic growth is only the second-most-remarkable thing about the rise of solar power.

Is solar power growing fast?

Solar's overall share of U.S. power output may currently be small, but it is growing fast, with output expanding by 155% between 2018 and 2023, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA.) That growth rate compares with a 56% expansion in wind power and a 22.4% swell in natural gas-fired output over the same period.

Is solar still a part of America's energy mix?

To be sure, solar remains a small portion of total electricity generation in the U.S., standing at just 3.9% of the nation's power mix in 2023 compared to the 43% share held by natural gas, according to the Energy Information Administration, the statistical unit within the Department of Energy.

Does China have a solar power shortage?

The shortfall was mostly filled by coal. China is far and away the leader on solar, accounting for nearly 36% of global generation last year. But it’s a different story when looking at how big a role it plays in China’s national electricity mix — just 6%, far below many other major solar-producing nations.

Which countries have added a lot of solar power?

China’s additions dwarfed those of all other countries, at somewhere between 180 and 230 gigawatts, depending on how end-of-the-year projects turn out. Europe added 58 gigawatts. Solar is now the cheapest form of electricity in a majority of countries.