Study finds rooftop solar can deliver bulk of global electricity

According to the study, a theoretical maximum of 19,500 TWh of electricity could be generated by rooftop photovoltaics (RPV) each year if every suitable roof was equipped with solar. Combined with load shifting and battery-electric storage, this would be enough to meet 65 per cent of current global electricity consumption.   

The study also found that the widespread deployment of RPV could help reduce global temperatures by up to 0.13 °C before 2050 by displacing fossil-based generation from energy grids. Data from the International Renewable Energy Agency indicates that the levelised cost of electricity for solar is now in the range of £30 to £50 per MWh. In contrast, new nuclear projects are estimated at between £100 and £150 per MWh. The researchers suggest that government policies should reflect solar’s economic advantages. Their work is published in Nature Climate Change.

“Solar is now outcompeting nuclear power in cost, deployment speed and environmental risks,” said study co-author Prof Felix Creutzig, a climate and policy researcher at the University of Sussex.