What energy crisis? In less than 20 years, solar power will be so inexpensive and widespread that it will meet the entirety of the world’s energy needs at virtually no cost, futurist Ray Kurzweil, told The Washington Post.
At present, solar power accounts for a scant 0.23% of US energy consumption, and about 1% of energy consumption worldwide.
However, the artificial-intelligence pioneer points out that solar power use has been doubling every two years over the past three decades, as well as consistently dropping in cost. Kurzweil, who is currently Director of Engineering at Google, says that at the current rate of growth, solar power will be able to meet today’s energy needs in about 14 years.
Given growing energy needs, Kurzweil predicts that solar power will be inexpensive and ubiquitous enough to power the planet in about 20 years.
The prediction may sound far-fetched, but Kurzweil isn’t the only one making it. X Prize founder and Singularity University co-founder Peter Diamandis agrees:
The price of solar panels has dropped 97% & there’s been a 500% increase in alternative energy investments. In Australia in particular the cost of solar has fallen significantly over the past few years, partly due to government subsidies but partly because of the large uptake we have seen.
Likewise, Vivek Wadhwa, a distinguished fellow at Singularity University and director of research at Center for Entrepreneurship and Research Commercialization at Duke University, points out that a mere three decades ago, people were just as sceptical of mobile phones as they are of solar energy today, and with similar justification. (information source)
In other solar news from around the world, India is planning an upgrade to its solar-energy infrastructure and will soon invite bids for the development of solar parks.
The federal administration in New Delhi and five state governments will work to set up 25 solar parks, which could increase the total installed solar capacity by nearly 10 times nationwide to about 20,000 megawatts, Tarun Kapoor, joint secretary with India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, told The Wall Street Journal.
At least 10 of the parks are likely to be set up over the next year, along with supporting infrastructure including transmission lines, while the remaining 15 are expected to be completed in the next four or five years, Mr. Kapoor said.
Blessed with an abundance of sunshine, India has accelerated its solar-power plan since the election of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who oversaw one of the country’s most successful solar programs in the western state of Gujarat.
Solar power accounts for about 1% of India’s energy mix, according to the government, and faces challenges including land acquisition. Power generation costs exceed those of thermal coal, though they have fallen sharply over the past three years. With its plans to develop solar parks, the government is betting that removing some of the pain of buying land will attract investors.
Most of the land that is marked for solar development is owned by state governments and state agencies. Parcels within the solar parks will be offered to private and state-run companies. (information source)
