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It is clear that any investment in solar will not only benefit society by reducing environmental degradation and health issues, but it is simply more economically viable. Money is already being spent, either on fossil fuel subsidies or the welfare costs that are consequences of climate change. It is therefore purely a shifting of funds that is needed to lower GHG emissions – and solar power is the cheapest and most efficient investment to make for a clean and prosperous future.(SOLAR) POWER TO THE PEOPLENot only is solar power a relatively cheap source of energy, it is also a source of energy which can be produced and consumed in ways that have never been available before. The scalability of solar power is one of the key factors which can fulfill growing electricity demands and reduce energy poverty worldwide.Solar can be produced through numerous different methods – from on-grid to off-grid, from traditional solar farms to micro-grid installations, from rooftop to building integrated PV and from individual to community solar projects. The options for the provision of solar energy are countless. We have consumed electricity from the grid the same way for more than a century, not knowing where the energy came from and being subjected to volatile prices. With the rise of solar, this one-way street of energy consumption is opening up to other lanes.The ability to self-consume energy is an important facet of solar energy. This is important for providing energy security in developed and developing countries alike – the IEA estimates that rooftop solar could supply 30 per cent of electricity needs of cities globally in 2050. Initiatives from London to Lagos to scale up rooftop solar are considered key in managing surges in price and demand for electricity. Self-consumption of energy through solar not only powers homes at a cost lower than retail prices, it also empowers citizens as they have greater control over their energy consumption and are no longer dependent on an ambivalent middle-man for one of their most basic needs. This is especially important as climate disasters are becoming more common, causing great disturbances to the grid. The recent hurricanes Harvey and Irma shut down oil refineries to 30-40 per cent capacity and severely impacted global oil prices. Many people did not have access to electricity for days as the grid was completely shut down for repairs. However, solar panels withstood both these hurricanes and those with rooftop solar were able to keep their lights on thanks to storage solutions, which have been increasingly deployed in the past years.Energy independence is essential for emerging economies who do not have the modern infrastructure required to provide for their growing electricity demand as they rapidly develop.In Africa alone, there are over 600 million people who have no access to electricity despite having massive oil and gas resources. Without electricity, families must rely on expensive and dangerous sources of light and energy such as kerosene lamps, which emit black smoke and eat up 15 per cent of a family’s income (Solaraid). This sort of energy poverty is common in many developing countries as they consume energy through an inefficient centralised grid and export most of their available energy resources. Africa is now looking increasingly to solar PV as a solution to its energy poverty, as it offers a cost-effective and flexible opportunity to provide modern energy services. As much of Africa is rural with great distances between utility providers, mini-grid or off-grid solar are essential for providing access to electricity. This allows rural communities to have unprecedented access to electricity which is essential for ensuring sustainable development. Furthermore, project lead times for solar are one of the shortest among any power generation technology, which means it can be deployed and scaled up quickly to meet the growing electricity needs of this developing continent.Solar power is democratising the energy market – this democracy will be crucial for producing enough energy to meet growing demands in a way that is sustainable environmentally, socially and economically.Above: Solar panels can be installed in remote areas of the world to power communities and raise living standards044 SUSTAINABLE ENERGY