Generating electricity from the sun has never been cheaper or easier.
Economies of scale and government subsidies, particularly in China, have helped solar prices drop 85% since 2010, prompting a global boom in new connections. This year, for the first time, investors are expected to invest more money in solar energy than in oil.
This is good news for the climate. But the solar energy supply chain remains firmly in the grip of China, whose authoritarian government is waging a trade war with the United States. The main components and materials of the industry are made of forced labor from the Xinjiang region in western China.
In recent years, other countries, led by the United States, have finally begun to seriously challenge China's hegemony. But according to new research by my colleagues Anna Swanson and Evan Penn, these efforts have had mixed results at best.
The vast majority of solar panels are still located in the Xinjiang region, where the United States and the United Nations say the Chinese government is committing numerous human rights abuses, said the report, compiled by solar industry and human rights experts.
Solar companies have also begun to share less information about the source of their materials, making it difficult to determine if the panels are made from forced labor.
All of this creates a huge problem for governments like the United States: Do they want clean solar energy or are they fighting for human rights? The only way to have both is to generate your own solar energy.
As Evan told me: “The key question is: How do you build a clean supply chain at this point, when it's too late?”
How do we get here?
China has spent hundreds of billions of dollars developing solar energy. Today, it controls more than 80% of solar panels, and controls production across the supply chain. China's market share is expected to increase to 95% in the next few years thanks to the factories under construction.
Other countries have been content to reap the benefits of this system for a long time. Thanks to China's massive investment and innovation, solar panel prices have come down a lot and fast. No one else has been so interested in investing in low-margin commercial technology. The well-known fact that China forces the Uighurs, an ethnic minority in Xinjiang, to work in its factories is ignored.
Recently, however, there has been a growing desire to limit China's dominance. Last year, the International Energy Agency said that expanding and diversifying the solar energy supply chain outside China is an important step in the global energy transition.
Last year, a US trade court ruled that China's four largest solar makers violated tariffs by recycling products through factories in Southeast Asia. Add to that human rights abuses, rising geopolitical tensions, and a hardline stance on Chinese solar power becomes scarcely bipartisan in Congress.
But even this rejection quickly collided with economic reality. Tougher policies toward China will hurt the US solar industry as it tries to meet ambitious clean energy goals. President Biden vetoed legislation that would have immediately reinstated steep tariffs on some Chinese solar products, effectively giving the US industry several more years to try to diversify its supply chain.
This clock is still ticking. But so far, there are no indications that other countries will be able to match China in manufacturing solar energy products in the near future.
“Where will all the raw materials come from, especially when it rises to our height level?” said Evan.
How do you fix it?
The climate bill that Biden signed last year It seems that this kind of government support could galvanize the country's burgeoning solar energy industry.
Several companies have already announced significant investments in solar manufacturing in the United States thanks to the law. Companies including First Solar are using a manufacturing method that doesn't require polysilicon, reducing their dependence on China.
But a new report shows that it would be extremely difficult to produce all the solar panels the planet needs without some products from the Xinjiang region.
There simply aren't enough companies in the world that make the basic materials and components needed for solar panels. And as competition increases, manufacturers are increasingly reluctant to be transparent about their supply chains for fear of alarming their competitors.
Even if production exits China, costs could still skyrocket, negating some of the economic benefits that have made solar power so popular in recent years. China's solar production costs are estimated to be 10% less than India, 20% less than the US and 35% less than Europe.
It all sounds awful. But 10 years ago, no one would have thought that solar energy would be as cheap and efficient as it is today.
It will require real investments, smart policies, tough decisions made, a bit of luck and a lot of land. But the industry aims to connect with China. Most of the clues he talks about give him a simple message, Ivan told me: "If we're going to catch up, we have to run fast."
What do cities do to stay cool?
People all over the world are still shivering from the heat. But cities have ways of helping people calm down. Security guards in places like Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, Miami-Dade County, Florida, Phoenix and Athens are working on local solutions. C40, a network of the world's largest cities committed to tackling climate change, has brought together many of the solutions already in use.
Understand the problem. Cities measures urban heat in different regions and examines health data to identify vulnerable groups of people. New York developed the Heat Vulnerability Index to show how heat affects each community, and Melbourne began focusing its work on homelessness.
Many cities have developed plans to deal with heatwaves. Ahmedabad, India, estimates that its plan, which includes an early warning system and training for health workers, will prevent more than 1,000 deaths annually. The best business plans focus on keeping people informed and on top of available resources Paris and other cities offer an app that identifies users' heat exposure, directs them to nearby cooling centers and suggests great walking routes.
Cities are also trying to find long-term solutions. A common technique is to use white paint to cool the surface. Los Angeles and other cities have incorporated gorgeous roofs into their building codes. Green spaces are another strong intervention. A study reviewed by El País found that covering 30% of the city with trees and other vegetation could reduce heat-related deaths by a third. Many cities are trying to do this. Medellin is building interconnecting green lanes that, according to its own report, have lowered temperatures by 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius).
In addition to providing a respite from the heat, cities can do many things to combat global warming, such as improving public transportation and making buildings more energy efficient. Learn more about what local governments are doing on this front.
- Manuela Andreone
More climate news
Weather report
Serious heat has returned to Texas and Oklahoma, and the worst weather has hit an area that has largely escaped the summer heat: Dallas. People in and around the city can experience some of the hottest temperatures of the year, with potential temperatures ranging from 105 to 111 degrees Fahrenheit.
Dallas meteorologists say the heat is drier, which allows for effective cooling when outdoor fog fans are used. But in parts of the Southeast, including Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana, humidity combined with high temperatures will push the heat index above 110 most days this week.
In Phoenix, the temperature dropped below 110 degrees for the first time in 32 days. But they could rise above 110 later this week as high pressure moves west.
- Judson Jones
