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<\/p>\nXavier Lemaire writes: The International Solar Alliance\u00a0announced by India at the Paris climate conference invites together 120 countries to support the expansion of solar technologies in the developing world.<\/p>\n
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The cost of solar cells\u00a0has decreased spectacularly over the past four decades, and the\u00a0trend\u00a0seems likely to continue. Solar energy has moved from a niche market for providing power in remote places (at the very beginning in 1958 to\u00a0space satellites) to a mainstream technology which feeds into the national grid.<\/p>\n
Most richer countries have been supporting solar power for some time and the rest of the world is now catching up, turning to solar not only for\u00a0energy access in remote areas\u00a0but to power cities. Emerging countries such as China, India,\u00a0Brazil,\u00a0Thailand,\u00a0South Africa,\u00a0Morocco\u00a0or\u00a0Egypt\u00a0are investing in large solar plants with ambitious targets. In developing countries such as\u00a0Bangladesh,\u00a0Ethiopia,\u00a0Kenya,\u00a0Rwanda,\u00a0Senegal\u00a0or\u00a0Ghana, solar farms or the large roll-out of solar home systems are a solution to unreliable and insufficient electricity supplies.<\/p>\n
Most developing countries benefit from high solar radiation.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0Source:<\/strong>\u00a0SolarGIS \u00a9 2015 GeoModel Solar<\/em><\/p>\n Large solar farms can be built in just a few months – compared to several years for a coal plant and even longer for a nuclear plant – without generating massive environmental and health damages. Modular decentralised generation with solar is a way to increase access to energy while still remaining on top of rapidly increasing appetites for electricity.<\/p>\n This alliance could boost the solar market in the Global South by accelerating the circulation of knowledge, facilitating technology transfer and securing investments. Such a partnership would aim to create a common culture among people working in solar energy. Permanent innovation is the key to success in a field where technologies evolve fast and where norms and standards are not yet established. So an alliance could help countries exchange policy ideas while benchmarking performance against each other.<\/p>\n The decrease of the price of solar cells<\/span>: a long term trend.\u00a0Source:<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0Bloomberg New Energy Finance & pv.energytrend.com\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Indeed in developing countries, where regulations and regimes tend to be less stable, investments suffer from a perceived risk. Given that the initial construction of solar plants makes up most of their cost (sunlight, after all, is free so\u00a0ongoing expenses are minimal), the business model requires them to run for a long period. High risk means higher costs of financing the initial investment. Countries with well-designed regulatory frameworks and policies can reduce risk and\u00a0attract investors.<\/p>\n Not California or Spain – this is Egypt.<\/strong>\u00a0Green Prophet<\/a>,\u00a0CC BY<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n The alliance could also support a network of universities and local research centres in each country to capitalise on local experience and build knowledge. Research and development can then more easily target the specific needs of developing countries.<\/p>\n The intensification of globalisation and competition between technology firms and utilities is sparking a revolution in the electricity sector which could result in a new world of energy providers. A number of countries are keen to position themselves as leaders.<\/p>\n For the moment, both\u00a0China\u00a0and\u00a0India\u00a0want massive investments in solar only on top of further investments in new coal and gas plants. They need to make their growth less carbon intensive – but do not yet consider solar power\u00a0as a complete substitute for fossil fuels.<\/p>\n But renewables accounted for nearly\u00a0half of all new power generation capacityacross the world last year. As the cost of solar power is\u00a0falling to the same level as traditional energy supplies\u00a0all over the world, some players in the electricity sector are – willingly or not – shifting away from fossil fuels. The decarbonisation of the electricity sector may be not just an empty political pledge, but an economic necessity.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Xavier Lemaire writes: The International Solar Alliance\u00a0announced by India at the Paris climate conference invites together 120 countries to support the expansion of solar technologies in the developing world. The cost of solar cells\u00a0has decreased spectacularly over the past four … Continue reading ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/files\/104315\/area14mp\/image-20151203-5306-1kxd16q.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nCulture of innovation<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n… and the real politics of renewables<\/h2>\n