For years, we’ve known that the fossil fuel industry has covered up damages caused by its polluting products. But what’s the alternative? What could a fossil-free energy system look like?
This series will explain the basics of the energy system. We’ll show examples of where it is—and isn’t—working, and how we can avoid repeating the fossil fuel industry’s past injustices.
Welcome to the third instalment of our Solutions Series: Solar Power.
See the previous edition here: Solutions Series: Nuclear.
Participants a press tour near the home solar station. Image: Julia Pashkovska
The Basics
Solar power is made in two ways. The first is solar photovoltaic (PV), which uses solar cells to convert sunlight directly into electricity. These are often installed on rooftops, or placed in fields as “solar farms”.
The second is concentrated solar power (CSP), which uses mirrors to focus the sun’s energy to heat a liquid. This heated liquid creates steam, which drives a turbine to generate energy. The heated liquid can store energy, allowing power to be made at night – like a battery.1
Unlike burning fossil fuels, producing solar energy does not produce carbon emissions. While making solar panels does create some emissions, over a panel’s 25 to 30-year life, emissions are still 96% to 98% lower than coal power.2
Most of this email will be referring to solar PV unless otherwise stated.
Solar power in the transition
Solar power is growing faster than any other energy source, including wind.3 Since 2010, solar energy prices have dropped by 93%, making it the cheapest new energy option.4
As of 2022, more than 4,9 million people work in the solar industry worldwide, and 40% of them are women. Jobs in solar make up about 35% of the 13,7 million jobs in renewable energy globally.5
Solar and its friend, storage
Solar PV has greatly improved in recent years. Most panels can generate power on cloudy days, just at lower levels.
To supply energy at night, solar panels are paired with batteries—which store energy for later use. Both solar PV and batteries can be put on the same building, as power is often produced and used at the same point.
To give further energy independence to communities, solar panels and batteries can be connected together across many local sites to form a “microgrid”. These local power grids can operate independently of the main grid – providing energy to many houses during blackouts.6
Justice and solar
Solar power is an excellent energy source, but there are challenges we must (and can!) address for a just transition to renewable energy.
Although the efficiency of solar PV is increasing, we must ensure that older, less efficient solar panels are not simply dumped in the Global South. Doing so risks repeating patterns of exploitation where substandard technologies are offloaded onto vulnerable regions. Quality, efficient and durable models must be prioritised to lift millions out of energy poverty.
Large-scale solar farms and CSP plants require lots of land, and CSP uses a lot of water.7 Any climate solution must uphold the rights of people and communities, ensuring that land isn’t cleared, and that access to water is maintained. However, when justice issues are addressed, solar PV can work well with farms, coexisting with crops or livestock.8
One unsolved issue is recycling solar panels. Although panels can be recycled, currently only 10% are. We need greater investment in recycling infrastructure to ensure that landfills aren’t filled with useful solar panels 30 years from now.9
To avoid repeating the injustices of the fossil fuel industry we must do better. Communities must be properly consulted, the most transparent human and environmental rights upheld, and we must hold the renewable energy industry accountable to international law.
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We know the harms of burning fossil fuels – they damage our climate and our health. In contrast, solar provides clean energy to communities big and small – empowering people to take power generation into their own hands. This is what we must strive for to build a world that prioritises people, communities, and nature.
Looking for some solar inspiration? Check out this example.
Sources:
1,4. Solar Energy, IRENA (2023)
2. Solar Photovoltaics – Cradle-to-Grave Analysis and Environmental Cost, The Renewable Energy Hub UK (2024)
3. Electricity Transition in 2023, Ember (2024)
5.Renewable energy and jobs: Annual review 2023, IRENA (2023)
6.What are microgrids – and how can they help with power cuts?, World Economic Forum (2022)
7.Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) vs. Photovoltaic (PV), Chemitek (2023)
8.Shining light on how solar power and farming can coexist, ScienceDaily (September 2024)
9.Solar panel recycling explained, The Independent (2024)
Further reading: REPower Afrika: A community-led solution, 350Africa (July 2024)
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