Recently, the media reported that installations of solar power will overtake those of wind power for the first time. This year, new wind farms are forecast to add some 35 gigawatts of new capacity, but new solar installations will add almost 37 gigawatts.
A gigawatt of generating capacity is equivalent to that of several good-sized conventional power plants. Even most nuclear power plants are less than a gigawatt in capacity.
Competition aside, what is most remarkable is the dramatic overall growth of both of these technologies. As of 2012, wind power provided some 282 gigawatts of generating capacity to the grid and solar power just over 100 gigawatts. Looking back just five years, wind was at 120 gigawatts and solar at only 14. In fact, more than 2/3 of all the solar power capacity in the world has been installed in the last 2 ½ years.
Favorable policies coupled with dramatic cost reductions in recent years have driven this explosive growth in photovoltaic or PV technology.
Wind technology has seen a bit of a recent slowdown, but new markets are opening up and the growth of offshore wind will drive its continued growth. Forecasts call for wind and solar technology to each provide at least 16% of the world’s generating capacity by 2030. The booming markets for both suggest that these estimates may be too low.
**********
.
Web Links
Solar power to overtake wind for the first time
Photo, taken on April 28, 2012, courtesy of Acid Pix via Flickr.
.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. Support for Earth Wise comes from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, NY.