5 Trends in Solar Industry that will Dominate in 2020
2019 has been a busy year for solar. California reached 1 million solar roofs installed, total U.S. solar projects have exceeded 21 gigawatts, Tesla has launched its solar rental program, became a possible culprit of the fires on Walmart roofs and announced a new generation of its solar roof.
As in every industry, solar one has had its ups and downs but overall the year was quite successful. To understand what to expect from 2020, let’s take a look at some global trends that will define the solar industry in the upcoming year.
1. Availability
Solar panels, wind turbines, and other renewable energy devices are becoming cheaper and more accessible to the private sector every year. People install various green energy appliances to their houses and even apartments (for example, external blinds with built-in solar panels). Households can generate enough energy to cover their needs, and the excess of electricity can be sold back to the grid.
Usually, the government supports such green initiatives by providing tax reductions or partly covering expenses on renewable energy devices. These programs differ from one country to another and even from one region to another within the same country.
2. Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence makes it possible to learn from big data, which will change the way we control renewable energy. Focusing on things like weather forecasts and load predictions will help us better integrate this energy into the grid.
Besides, the smart home trend is moving to the renewables with more and more solar panels being installed all over the globe. AI algorithms can make devices smarter and more efficient, including but not limited to smart batteries, inverters, and sun trackers.
3. Blockchain
With the global digitalization, the grid is becoming extremely vulnerable to hacker attacks. Blockchain technologies are there to mitigate these risks and make the whole system more secure.
Apart from that, blockchain solutions will improve building management systems and can help to effectively trade energy by both companies and individuals.
4. Grid parity
Grid parity develops when the cost of alternative energy becomes lower or equals to the cost of electricity from the electrical grid.
With renewable energy becoming cheaper the price of green energy will soon approach the price level from electricity providers. Soon renewable energy can become even more affordable than energy from traditional sources, such as coal and gas, that emit tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) every year, contributing to global warming.
5. Climate change
As we have seen in recent years, environmental threads are not personal matters anymore. In 2020 the government elections have been influenced by the climate factor. People around the world don’t just care about global climate change but want their country to take action to prevent natural disasters caused by global warming.
