“Remember, Arvind, the key to solve global problems is to push ahead with
local solutions”.
Let us now look in more detail at the “Energy Challenge”. 50% of the world’s
total electricity by 2050 is a tremendous amount of energy; this would be equivalent
to about 12,000 TWh per year at today’s (2020) levels of electricity consumption.
This compares with 800 TWh per year that is generated by PV at present. So, this
would be an increase by a factor of 15, within a period of just 30 years. As
electricity consumption is steadily rising, mainly due to economic growth in China,
India, Indonesia, Africa and South America, the actual increase we need, for PV,
will probably be around a factor of 30.
Can this be done? From a purely technical point of view, the answer is certainly:
«YES, WE CAN». But we have six other points to be considered: (a) raw materials
and electricity needed for the production of PV modules; (b) durability and reliability of PV modules—if PV is to become a pillar of humanity’s energy supply, it
should be productive for 50 years or more—as all other technologies for the production of electricity do and not just for 25 to 30 years; (c) storage—solar electricity
comes in, in an irregular and often unpredictable fashion, depending on climate and
weather, and it has to be stored in some way before it can be used; (d) areas needed
for the deployment of that huge amount of PV; (e) integration of PV into the energy
system; (f) ecological production and recycling of PV modules.
Illustration sponsored by Ernst Schweizer AG, Hedingen, Switzerland; illustration drawn by
Michael Meier
vi
Preface
local solutions”.
Let us now look in more detail at the “Energy Challenge”. 50% of the world’s
total electricity by 2050 is a tremendous amount of energy; this would be equivalent
to about 12,000 TWh per year at today’s (2020) levels of electricity consumption.
This compares with 800 TWh per year that is generated by PV at present. So, this
would be an increase by a factor of 15, within a period of just 30 years. As
electricity consumption is steadily rising, mainly due to economic growth in China,
India, Indonesia, Africa and South America, the actual increase we need, for PV,
will probably be around a factor of 30.
Can this be done? From a purely technical point of view, the answer is certainly:
«YES, WE CAN». But we have six other points to be considered: (a) raw materials
and electricity needed for the production of PV modules; (b) durability and reliability of PV modules—if PV is to become a pillar of humanity’s energy supply, it
should be productive for 50 years or more—as all other technologies for the production of electricity do and not just for 25 to 30 years; (c) storage—solar electricity
comes in, in an irregular and often unpredictable fashion, depending on climate and
weather, and it has to be stored in some way before it can be used; (d) areas needed
for the deployment of that huge amount of PV; (e) integration of PV into the energy
system; (f) ecological production and recycling of PV modules.
Illustration sponsored by Ernst Schweizer AG, Hedingen, Switzerland; illustration drawn by
Michael Meier
vi
Preface