Photo by Thomas Reaubourg on Unsplash
Written by Elias Sorich as published in Stacker.com
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When it comes to how our society generates and produces energy in light of the looming effects of climate change and global temperature increases, some scientific experts think we’re simply headed in the wrong direction.
The world’s energy supply is derived, by a significant margin, from sources that are not only nonrenewable but also produce enormous amounts of greenhouse gas emissions. An analysis performed by the International Energy Agency found that in 2021 more than 80% of all energy produced on the planet come from oil, gas, and coal, with the remaining percentage splintered between nuclear (5%), hydro (2.5%), biofuels (9.4%), and the ever-nebulous category “other” (2.2%).
In terms of electricity generation, solar photovoltaic technology has been a steadfastly growing source of energy over the past decade. In 2010, solar energy accounted for 32.2 terawatt hours of electricity; as of 2021, that figure was 1,002.9 TWh. Solar PV is responsible for 3.6% of all electricity generated globally, just behind hydro and wind power as the largest renewable electricity technology.