Innovation Bites: The Sun Wins!
Two Solar Trends--and a Breakthrough--That You Need to Know About
Welcome to Innovation Bites, a quick run-down of exciting new innovation developments that you might have missed.
The Sun FTW!
Big week for solar-related news. Three innovation-related things caught my attention:
a/ Solar Power Surpassed Coal Power in Europe for the first time last year.
This is big news, coming from one of the biggest markets in the world. All you need to know is this graph:
It’s partly Europe’s regulatory push to decarbonize their energy sector, but fundamental market forces are what’s really driving this shift (psst… solar’s cheaper). It’s everywhere across Europe too—even places where coal is abundant, like Poland, saw a rise in solar generation.
Here’s the full report.
b/ Oh yeah, China too.
But wait! You say. China is the biggest carbon polluter out there, and they still love coal! What about them??
Well, remember how in 2023 China added more solar panels than the US did in its entire history?
Turns out that’s nothing compared to 2024. Last year, China added 277 gigawatts of solar generation, surpassing 2023’s record. This means China has hit its initial 2030 renewables target already — six years early.
(The US response to the challenge? Don’t ask.)
c/ Sunshine in my pocket.
OK, not in my pocket, but how about in my lab?
While China was setting records on PV installations, their scientists were busy setting new records for a controlled fusion reaction. Scientists at the Institute of Plasma Physics sustained a steady-state high-confinement plasma operation for 1,066 seconds.
For 70 years now scientists worldwide have been trying to create a controlled fusion reaction (think: what powers the sun and stars) that could be used to generate electricity, which would provide an almost limitless source of power. Doing so “just” requires controlling temperatures at 100 million degrees Celsius or more, and, you know, precisely controlling the power of the sun.
Despite this, we’re getting closer!
Whenever I see interesting climate and sustainability innovations and trends, I’ll include them in future editions of Innovation Bites. Subscribe now to ensure you never miss out!