Solar power overtook coal for the first time in the European Union in 2024 and its upward trajectory shows no signs of stopping or even slowing. Its coronation as king of energy is surely not so far away.
Amidst all the doom and gloom of United States President Donald Trump tearing up much of his predecessor’s clean energy policies this week, a rather hopeful bit of news made headlines.
The European Union got a record amount of its electricity from solar power in 2024, overtaking coal power for the first time by generating about 11% of all electrons within the 27-member bloc.
It is a remarkable rise and fall to and from grace for solar and coal, respectively. Solar has gone from a niche energy source to an indispensable cog in the energy machine, while coal has declined from empire-building resource to embarrassing power crutch.
Germany, Poland and Czechia account for about 80% of coal use, so the fossil fuel’s waning influence is even more substantial than the overall figure initially suggests.
Timelines are also accelerating in those three countries, so the EU could be coal-free sooner rather than later.
As far as solar is concerned, its anointment as king of the energy sector will come even sooner than coal’s inevitable death. Panel prices are dirt cheap, they are reliable, they allow households to generate their own power and they are long-lasting.
When it comes to inter-renewables rivalry too, solar possibly has the edge on wind. 2024 saw 15 gigawatts of wind added to the energy system but the amount of power generated did not increase dramatically due to wind conditions being unfavourable for long periods.
Solar panels may not generate any power at night but they thrive in full sunlight and even work when it is cloudy, albeit at a far lower efficiency. For that reason they are arguably more predictable.
That is why the International Energy Agency has estimated that the amount of power generated globally by solar will quadruple by 2030. It will overtake nuclear, hydro and wind in 2026, gas in 2031 and, finally, old king coal in 2033.
At that point it will be the number one source of electricity in the world. Solar has always exceeded the expectations of even the most optimistic of predictions so expect those dates to actually arrive earlier.
Places blessed with day-long sunshine are already giving solar some heavy-lifting to do. In the United Arab Emirates, a gigantic 5 GW solar plant will be paired with massive batteries, making the facility capable of providing 24 hour power.
If the UAE can make that groundbreaking project work – and all the signs point to, ‘yes they can’ – then the argument against prohibitively expensive new nuclear power, which takes a decade to come online, gets even stronger.
To grasp solar’s impact here, it sometimes helps to go back to the basics and look at what energy generation actually entails.
Essentially, all power production relies on spinning a turbine. We achieve that by using steam or wind. Atomic energy, for example, is just a convoluted way of boiling some water.
Solar panels are somewhat unique in that they do not rely on any mechanical motion to generate power. Sunlight hits the silicon, scientific sorcery happens, electrons are released and electricity is the final product.
In the 1960s, Arthur C. Clarke wrote that “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”. That maxim is absolutely true of photovoltaic panels.
That is why Europe should stop missing a trick and start getting the things on every rooftop, every bus shelter, every bit of wasteland next to highways, airports and harbours, as soon as possible.
Make solar the backbone of the power sector, run the damn thing just on solar and batteries 24/7, 365 days a year. Then use wind, hydro, nuclear, maybe a bit of gas if needed, to clean up the problematic stuff like industry and heating.
The sun isn’t expected to start burning out for another 5 billion years, so let’s make the most of it now.
Want more updates and analysis of what is happening in the world of energy and climate? Interested in finding a job in the sector or more information about public tenders? Sign up to our Energy Rundown newsletter here!
