For the first time solar energy become the world is cheapest

In the past, this has happened in a number of individual projects. But now, many solar power projects do not need subsidies to activities began overtake coal and natural gas on a large scale. And notably, in emerging markets the construction cost of the solar power plant is cheaper than building wind power projects.

The chart below shows the average cost of wind power projects and solar was built in 58 developing countries, including China, India and Brazil. No one thought that solar power can be cheaper than wind power so soon.

Half the price of coal

This year is a memorable year in the history of the development of solar power. Auction system, where private companies competing to provide large power contracts made solar power prices fell a record. Starting in January by the project to produce electricity for 64 USD per megawatt hour in India then is the contract manufacturing started in August with the price of solar power on a megawatt-hour $ 29.1. This price is only half compared to the price of electricity generated from coal.

"Renewables are entering the era of discount" compared to fossil fuels, Michael Liebreich, chairman BNEF share. By the end of this year, when the project is completed solar power, the first total solar electricity that contributes to global grid higher than wind power. BNEF estimates that all solar power projects in 2016 could generate a total power of up to 70 gigawatts, 11 gigawatts more than wind power projects.

In developing countries the entire conversion cost to clean energy is expensive and costly because power demand is not increasing but even decreased. Whereas solar energy here also have to compete with coal power plants and natural gas worth billions of dollars currently operational. But in additional countries need new electrical power sources as quickly as possible, the renewables will beat any other technology without subsidies.

Turning point

Energy markets had a turning point when the power generated by clean energy a year more than the electricity generated from coal and natural gas combined. Usage of fossil fuels could peak in the next decade.

On the issue of investment, in 2015, the emerging markets have to spend $ 154.1 billion for clean energy. In the same year, 35 member countries Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) consisting of rich countries only invest 153.7 billion.

The growth rate of the deployment of clean energy in developing countries is still very high and they will continue to lead the clean energy market.

Still, it takes time to generate electricity from the wind and sun, fossil fuels remain the cheapest option when the wind does not blow and the sun does not shine. Coal and gas will continue to play an important role in the "universal" power to millions of people in the coming years.

But for those who still are relying on diesel generators costly or who have not been supplied with electricity and those living in the dangerous dust in densely populated cities, switching to renewable energy jobs urgency, as soon as possible.