Climate & Environment
Solar Energy
Energy harnessed from sunlight — now the cheapest new electricity source in most of the world and the fastest-growing.
Definition
Solar energy is the conversion of sunlight into electricity or heat, principally through photovoltaics (PV), concentrating solar power (CSP), and solar thermal for water and space heating. PV has become the cheapest source of new electricity generation in much of the world, having fallen in cost by around 90% since 2010; solar now accounts for the majority of new power capacity added globally each year and is central to every credible decarbonisation pathway.
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