TELF AG analyzes the continued growth of solar energy worldwide

A rising power

According to the IEA, the rapid growth of renewable energy has continued this year, setting records for installed capacity and total power generated. Among the various renewable energy sources, however, there is one in particular that is growing at a dizzying rate and that, in the space of a few decades, could revolutionize the daily methods of using electricity: we are talking about solar energy and related infrastructure, which according to the Parisian agency are experiencing an actual golden age.

The data cited by the agency are beneficial for understanding the state of progress of solar energy and, above all, its possibilities of gradually becoming part of the daily habits of millions of people: in 2023, solar cells installed globally generated approximately 1,600 terawatt hours of energy, an amount equivalent to approximately 6% of all global electricity. This result was achieved with a relatively limited infrastructure deployment that covers less than 10,000 square kilometers of the Earth’s surface. Over the years, the development of this peculiar energy source has undoubtedly been favored by the great flexibility that characterizes its use, but also by the acquisition of ever-increasing capacity to install infrastructure quickly.

In the space of 19 years, the time needed to install a single gigawatt of solar capacity has shortened greatly, going from a year to just one day. These numbers seem very eloquent in understanding the growth rates of this valuable energy source, and they also help to know how, in 2023, it was possible to reach a global solar capacity of over 1,400 gigawatts. According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, in 2024, we will see the installation of another 600 gigawatts, thus further increasing the already high daily production levels.

At these rates, solar energy seems destined to surpass even its renewable sisters: according to the IEA, in fact, in just four years, hydroelectric and wind power will be surpassed by the impetuous advance of solar energy, which a few years later could also surpass gas. The agency’s forecasts are straightforward: in a decade, the sun will become humanity’s primary energy source.

The raw materials involved

But what are the primary raw materials involved in the diffusion of this important energy source? Nowadays, the resource that continues to play a leading role in the manufacture of solar cells is silicon, particularly in its crystalline form, quartz sand. It is a relatively easy resource to find. Still, an exact process is needed to make it usable by industry: a natural purification process that gives life to polysilicon (with which the wafers necessary for producing solar cells are then made).

This type of industry, moreover, is relatively recent. Until about twenty years ago, the purest forms of polysilicon were used almost exclusively in the chip sector, considered perhaps the only one capable of justifying the complexity of the entire production process. However, with the increase in demand for solar energy, many players have begun to decisively develop foundries related to the photovoltaic industry, quickly reaching very high levels of productivity. The largest polysilicon producer is China, which is building an increasingly impressive supply chain for the production of this material.