Global Solar Fund Presentation
Find out more about the Global Solar Fund

Fabio Rosa
A Brazilian social entrepreneurial solution to solar energy supply

Victorian Premier John Brumby announces world’s largest PV solar power station

Innovation in Rural Energy and Delivery a major report by Navigant Consulting Inc and Soluz Inc

Garrett applauds South Australia solar initiatives - watch the ABC video

Why the urgent focus on solar energy?

The planet's population is expected to grow from 6 billion to 9 billion over the next 50 years. By 2050, we will need twice as much power as we use today. Unless this power comes from renewable sources, the planet’s climate could get much hotter.

Why is this so? The following exchange between ABC Radio National’s Robyn Williams and world class researcher Nathan Lewis from the California Institute of Technology goes to the heart of the matter:

Robyn Williams: Talking about time, it’s now mid winter in Los Angeles, OK it’s southern California, nonetheless it’s 25°C, 26°C it is as hot as the Sydney summer used to be, and sometimes in the Sydney summer you get 44°. Do you think we’ll make it?

Nate Lewis: That’s an interesting question. I think what we know absolutely is we know from the records of the geological ice core data that the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide over the past 670,000 years has never been above 300 parts per million. And we know that the current rate that we’re consuming fossil energy that it will be at double that level or more within the next 40 years. We also know that there’s no way to get rid of it, and so it will last for a thousand years at that level until it naturally dissolves in the oceans. Which means we have to just decide whether or not we’re willing to do the biggest experiment that humans have ever done and see that it turns out okay or not, and that’s the simple ticking clock that we have to deal with if we’re going to forego making those emissions last for generations to come.

Professor Lewis believes that ultimately the only viable energy source that can provide humanity with the energy that it needs is the sun. But the challenge is daunting: to provide sufficient solar power we will need to cover about 0.15% of all the land on the earth with some kind of solar receptor (assuming they are 10% efficient). The race is on to improve solar technology efficiency are reduce delivery costs to make the transition viable as soon as possible.

Speed is of the essence. The Earth has a 35 year thermal inertia which means that today’s actions will result in changes 35 years down the track, just as what we are experiencing with today’s climate results from greenhouse emissions 35 years ago.

Here’s the clincher. C02 concentrations are now at 380 parts per million and in 3.5 decades our children will learn what average temperature that translates into. But by then concentrations will be at 550 parts per million given growth projections. That’s the legacy that our grandchildren will inherit.