Can Solar Become the World's Dominant Source of Energy?

Can Solar Become the World's Dominant Source of Energy?

Nothing can stop solar's growth trajectory -- except maybe solar itself.

This week, we have a deep discussion on the future of solar photovoltaics. Solar is exploding around the world, but have we grappled with the technology and market limitations that could stop the next order of magnitude in growth for PV?

On this week's episode of The Interchange, Shayle Kann sits down with Varun Sivaram, author of the new book, Taming the Sun: Innovations to Harness Solar Energy and Power the Planet.

Shayle and Varun examine every angle of the solar transition. They consider numerous possible futures, good and bad, for the technology.

"If we do not take the right actions and urgently in innovation today, I warn that in the medium term we might run into a penetration ceiling for solar. And by the time that happens, it might have been too late to start investing in these long-term innovations that only pay off after you've invested for a little while," explains Varun.

Varun Sivaram is the Philip D. Reed Fellow for Science and Technology at the Council on Foreign Relations, and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University.

This podcast is brought to you by Fiveworx, a turnkey customer engagement platform for utilities. Find out more about how Fiveworx can help your customer engagement program succeed -- and get you beyond the meter.

Subscribe to The Interchange podcast via Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher or wherever you find your audio content.

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Episoder(341)

The muscle we forgot: SMRs, hyperscalers, and why this nuclear renaissance might actually be different

The muscle we forgot: SMRs, hyperscalers, and why this nuclear renaissance might actually be different

Why nuclear has never been project financed and how that might finally be about to change.Every nuclear plant ever built has ultimately been backstopped by taxpayers or ratepayers. Not because the tec...

24 Mar 56min

The grid nobody planned for: public power, hyperscalers and the race to rewire America for the AI age

The grid nobody planned for: public power, hyperscalers and the race to rewire America for the AI age

What two decades of flat demand means for a grid now expected to double in sizeThe US went from essentially zero load growth for twenty years to 3% national growth almost overnight. The supply chains,...

10 Mar 1h 4min

Is hyperscaler demand finally giving CCS its moment?

Is hyperscaler demand finally giving CCS its moment?

Carbon capture and storage has long been framed as a clean technology that’s forever five years away. Bridget van Dorsten speaks with Tim Vail, CEO of ION Clean Energy, to explore why a surge in AI da...

24 Feb 47min

Building the plane while it’s flying: data centers, utilities, and the new rules of power

Building the plane while it’s flying: data centers, utilities, and the new rules of power

After more than a decade of flat demand, the US power sector is now facing explosive growth, arriving faster than grids, generation, and transmission can be built. In this episode, Interim host of Int...

10 Feb 44min

Fuel cells are powering AI data center demand: they’ve moved from interesting clean tech to major player. How are utilities using them?

Fuel cells are powering AI data center demand: they’ve moved from interesting clean tech to major player. How are utilities using them?

US data centre announcements are averaging 435MW a month, and there’s around 175GW of large-load capacity already committed or under construction. AI hyperscalers are looking for innovative ways to me...

27 Jan 43min

AI, and the battle for energy in 2026. What clean energy sources are going to meet demand?

AI, and the battle for energy in 2026. What clean energy sources are going to meet demand?

AI is changing the energy system faster than almost anything we’ve seen in decades. Interim host, engineer and energy analyst Bridget Van Dorsten is joined by Ed Crooks, host of Energy Gang and Vice-c...

13 Jan 29min

How are key renewable energies faring at the end of 2025? Guest host and energy analyst Bridget van Dorsten talks through developments in geothermal, hydrogen and wind.

How are key renewable energies faring at the end of 2025? Guest host and energy analyst Bridget van Dorsten talks through developments in geothermal, hydrogen and wind.

At the start of the year things were looking uncertain for nascent renewables like hydrogen and geothermal. With policy support from the previous US administration they had boomed with the IRA, then c...

2 Des 202537min

Energy policy, technology, and utility challenges: How industry leaders are overcoming barriers

Energy policy, technology, and utility challenges: How industry leaders are overcoming barriers

Utility-scale clean energy projects in development are still facing connection queues and regulatory barriers. RE+ may be done for 2025, but the debate is still going. Host Sylvia Leyva Martinez, Rese...

18 Nov 202537min

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