A study led by the University of Exeter and University College London predicts that solar PV will be the dominant energy source by 2050.

The study published by Nature Communications concludes that projections where fossil fuels continue to dominate energy production are no longer realistic. Developments in renewable energy in recent years suggest that the situation is different. Dr Femke Nijsse of the Exeter Global Systems Institute, who is the lead author of this publication, says that the models used project solar photovoltaics to dominate the global energy mix. Furthermore, they state that this is likely to be before 2050 and even without the need for more ambitious climate policies to drive change.

The research team also warns that solar cannot be the only energy and that it is necessary to focus on overcoming four key barriers:

Due to variability in production, there is a need to invest in greater resilience in the grid: investing in other renewables, in connecting regions, in storage infrastructure and in policies to manage demand.

Access to finance is very uneven in many regions of the world where, especially in Africa.

The supply chain may be a limiting element, as 90% of lithium will be used to produce renewable energy by 2040. Finally, there are governments that are not aligned with the energy transition and politically oppose it to defend their own interests.