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Today, countries around the world have been built on energy systems powered by fossil fuels and nuclear power. This is no longer sustainable, as global electricity demand continues to grow exponentially and these finite and increasingly expensive energy sources simply cannot meet this demand.Globally, we have never witnessed a time in history with more prosperity and higher standards of living, as fast-growing emerging economies have been lifting billions of people out of poverty. While this is undoubtedly an important achievement for poverty reduction across the world, this progress also ushers in a new problem – electricity demand is rising beyond our current capacities.In 2016, there were still more than one billion people who had little or no access to electricity. According to the International Energy Agency, world electricity demand is set to increase another 28 per cent by 2040, and this increase is predicted to happen primarily in non-OECD countries as they continue their rapid development. If we want to fulfill this demand and sustain a standard of living above the poverty line, we need to rethink how we power prosperity. The question is no longer how can we produce more energy, but how can we produce the energy we need in a way that will be sustainable for the long-term.Solar power has been grossly underestimated as a solution to this problem. Solar power is the fastest-growing new source of energy in the world, and it is still just scratching the surface of its potential. It is exceeding everyone’s expectations, as it is reducing in price and has scaled up faster than even the most optimistic forecasts of a decade ago, or even a few years ago, for that matter.The potential of solar is huge and the recognition of this is growing across the world. The International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Global Solar Council (GSC), which SolarPower Europe currently chairs, projected the cost advantages of solar to a huge global audience. This means that we can expect a huge acceleration of deployment in the coming years. SolarPower Europe estimates that the global solar market could grow from around 230GW installed in 2015 to 710GW by 2020. This is a huge increase and will make a low-carbon energy system a reality.It is now predicted, by DNV GL market analysts, that renewable energy sources can account for 85 per cent of global electricity production by 2050, with solar having a 36 per cent share – this means that over 70 per cent of countries could be running entirely on renewable energy. Not only will this increase in renewable sources on the energy market be a major factor in addressing the needs of an expanding global economy, it will also herald a new era of decarbonisation, which can ensure that this progress is sustainable. We live in a world that receives 5,000 times more energy per year than we can consume in the form of solar energy. We now have the technology readily available to harness this energy to power a cleaner, healthier society – now we need to take full advantage of this opportunity.DR JAMES WATSON, CEO, SOLARPOWER EUROPEALYSSA PEK, COMMUNICATIONS EXECUTIVE, SOLARPOWER EUROPEWELCOME TO THE SUNNY-SIDE OF ENERGY“INITIATIVES FROM LONDON TO LAGOS TO SCALE UP ROOFTOP SOLAR ARE CONSIDERED KEY IN MANAGING SURGES IN PRICE AND DEMAND FOR ELECTRICITY”042 SUSTAINABLE ENERGY