Solar energy is expected to grow 6 times in the world costs fall

                 

The amount of electricity generated by solar panels should become up to six times greater by 2030 because the production cost is becoming lower the natural gas and coal plants, their competitors, in accordance with the International Agency for Renewable Energy (IRENA, its acronym in English).

Solar plants that use photovoltaic technology could account for 8% to 13% of world electricity produced in 2030, compared to 1.2% at the end of last year, according to a report published on Wednesday (22) by group industry based in Abu Dhabi. The average cost of electricity generated by a PV system is expected to fall to 59% by 2025, which will make solar generation is the cheapest way to produce energy "in a number of cases increasing," the agency said .

Renewable sources are replacing nuclear power and restricting the production of electricity with gas and coal in developed regions such as Europe and the US, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. PG & E, California, proposes to close two nuclear reactors because the costs of wind and solar production are falling. Although the abundance of supply has reduced the price of coal and gas, solar and wind technologies will be the cheapest ways to produce electricity in most places of the world in the 2030s, told New Energy Finance in a report this month.

"The transition to renewable energy is well advanced, and solar energy is playing a key role," said Adnan Amin, Director-General of Irena, in a statement. "The cost savings, along with other incentive factors, may generate a radical expansion of solar energy worldwide."

solar growth
The Bloomberg New Energy Finance also projects growth of solar photovoltaic systems for 15% of total production of electricity around 2040, according to Jenny Chase, head of solar energy analysis in Zurich. "The Irena's assumptions are reasonable," she said. "Solar energy becomes very cheap in any reasonable scenario."

The "most attractive" markets for solar panels by 2020 are Brazil, Chile, Israel, Jordan, Mexico, the Philippines, Russia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, according to Irena. The global capacity could be 1760-2500 gigawatts in 2030, compared with 227 gigawatts at the end of 2015, the agency said.

Smart grids, which are energy networks that can manage and distribute electricity obtained from different sources, and new types of storage technology will encourage greater use of solar energy, according to Irena.