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.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Episoder(342)

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

Will energy storage save the grid? How batteries and the software behind them are reshaping reliability in the age of AI demand

Will energy storage save the grid? How batteries and the software behind them are reshaping reliability in the age of AI demand

Electrification is surging, AI data centres are multiplying, and volatility is rising on both sides of the meter. Can storage step in as the flexible backbone the US grid now needs? Host Sylvia Leyva ...

4 Nov 202547min

From capture to storage: inside the full CCUS value chain | Recorded live at CCUS in Houston

From capture to storage: inside the full CCUS value chain | Recorded live at CCUS in Houston

This special wrap-up episode of Interchange Recharged takes listeners on a fast tour of the entire carbon capture value chain, from industrial emitters and LNG developers to UK transport and storage p...

21 Okt 202547min

From policy to possibility: How CCUS is moving from talk to action

From policy to possibility: How CCUS is moving from talk to action

Recorded live on day two of Wood Mackenzie’s CCUS Conference in Houston, this episode of Interchange Recharged explores how carbon capture is advancing from state-level regulation to real-world innova...

10 Okt 202558min

Can finance and policy unlock the carbon capture boom? | Recorded live at CCUS in Houston

Can finance and policy unlock the carbon capture boom? | Recorded live at CCUS in Houston

This special episode of Interchange Recharged brings together finance, law, and technology leaders shaping the path to commercial carbon capture. Host Sylvia Leyva Martinez explores how capital, regul...

8 Okt 202553min

What to do now clean energy subsidies are going? Analysis and insights from clean energy’s biggest North American event

What to do now clean energy subsidies are going? Analysis and insights from clean energy’s biggest North American event

As RE+ 2025 wrapped up in Las Vegas, the mood across the show floor was one of contradiction: anxiety, anger, optimism, and opportunity all rolled into one. In this episode, Sylvia Leyva Martinez – Re...

23 Sep 202529min

Navigating the world after OB3: implications for innovation and local manufacturing | Sponsored content from Hithium - Recorded Live at the PowerUp Stage at RE+

Navigating the world after OB3: implications for innovation and local manufacturing | Sponsored content from Hithium - Recorded Live at the PowerUp Stage at RE+

Recorded live at RE+, Sylvia Leyva Martinez, Research Director at Wood Mackenzie, hosts Ryan Chen and Neil Bradshaw from Hithium to unpack the true costs of OB3, the constraints on innovation and fire...

16 Sep 202524min

Gas prices are rising and the demand for renewable energy is growing. How are big players in the green tech industry preparing for the evolving policy around solar energy credits? (Recorded live at RE+ in Las Vegas)

Gas prices are rising and the demand for renewable energy is growing. How are big players in the green tech industry preparing for the evolving policy around solar energy credits? (Recorded live at RE+ in Las Vegas)

Despite the US adding 4.3 gigawatts of solar manufacturing capacity in Q2, there were no additions to the upstream components of polysilicon wafer and cell manufacturing. As gas prices continue to ris...

11 Sep 202539min

Populært innen Business og økonomi

stopp-verden
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
dine-penger-pengeradet
e24-podden
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk
rss-borsmorgen-okonominyhetene
pengepodden-2
tid-er-penger-en-podcast-med-peter-warren
utbytte
pengesnakk
liberal-halvtime
livet-pa-veien-med-jan-erik-larssen
morgenkaffen-med-finansavisen
rss-markedspuls-2
finansredaksjonen
rss-pa-konto
lederpodden
rss-politisk-preik
rss-investering-gjort-enkelt
stormkast-med-valebrokk-stordalen