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Solar power is the conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV) or indirectly using concentrated solar power. Photovoltaic cells convert light into an electric current using the photovoltaic effect. Concentrated solar power systems use lenses or mirrors and solar tracking systems to focus a large area of sunlight to a hot spot, often to drive a steam turbine.

Estimated solar energy available for power generation. The map shows the average daily/yearly sum of electricity production from a 1 kW-peak grid-connected solar PV power plant covering the period from 1994/1999/2007 (depending on the geographical region) to 2018.

In 2021 solar generated 3.8% (1040 TWh) of the world's electricity-compared to 1% (253 TWh) in 2015 when the Paris Agreement to limit climate change was signed. Wind and solar generated over 10% of the world's electricity in 2021. Along with onshore wind, the cheapest levelised cost of electricity is utility-scale solar. (Full article...)

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