In the "sustainability energy horse race," solar has been the dark horse—steadily trotting from obscurity to more general interest. Take this into consideration: 1975, and it was only solar panels that were really cool and new. With an exorbitant price, at $125.83 a watt and low efficiency, it limits the number of spaces that could be lit with the clean—but expensively derived—energy of the sun to that of a football field. Fast forward to the 2022 bustle, solar panels are not just dropping their elite status; they have covered the equivalent of a staggering two million football stadiums globally. This is not just a mere expansion; this is a renewable revolution.

Solar panels used to be like those first-generation mobile phones; people would carry them around — bulky, overtly pricey, and owned by a fortunate few. At a cost of $125.83 per watt, there was very little that the ecologically aware people could do other than gaze at it longingly. The siren of a power source that was above us all day could not let go, so these environmental pioneers and visionaries for the environment took the plunge and made way for what was to be a solar-powered future.

So, what changed between those 70s with the bell-bottom trousers and our 2020s with technology, which could let loose such a seismic shift? Innovation, the ability to scale, and a tireless quest for efficiency turned the table. It further stated how, with more and more people seeing hope in solar power, investors started pouring in; at the same time, research and technology were advancing. They finally brought the price per watt of power down to just $0.26—less than a gumball.

Two million stadiums and counting 

Two million football stadiums—imagine that sight. Now, imagine every inch covered with glinting solar panels. That is the scale we are talking about: for the year 2022. Solar energy is not only the possession of greens. It is for the schools, hospitals, businesses, and homes. It is for countries that need to respond to the need of meeting their energy demand and the cities that are chokingly breathing poor air. It's everywhere, and it's because now, it makes economic sense.

The green grid: a reality

With the cost of solar energy getting cheaper, it is no longer an adjunct to the power grid in place but is fast becoming the backbone of a new green grid. This grid is not only lighting up light bulbs but fueling everything from cars to smartphones to factories. The energy of the future is clean, it's green, and it's beaming down from the heavens.

illuminem Voices is a democratic space presenting the thoughts and opinions of leading Sustainability & Energy writers, their opinions do not necessarily represent those of illuminem.