New study: “global irreversible solar tipping point” may have been passed

A new paper in the journal Nature Communications finds that a global irreversible solar tipping point may have passed where solar energy comes to dominate global electricity markets, thanks to technological trajectories set in motion by past policies.

“In 2023, we can harvest the rays of the sun and the strength of the wind to power our lives more efficiently and affordably than ever before,” said Johanna Neumann, Senior Director of the Campaign for 100% Renewable Energy. “Now is the time to go all-in for a future powered by renewable energy.”

The authors of the paper write that between 2010 and 2020, the cost of solar PV fell by 15% each year. Meanwhile, onshore wind capacity grew by 12% a year. Using data-driven conditional technology and economic forecasting models, the authors write that Solar PV and wind power appear poised to irreversibly become the dominant electricity technologies within 1-2 decades.