Is the solution simply solar + batteries?
tldr: Another answer to the questions of “what should I personally do/invest in?” and “in which industry should I work?” could simply be: solar.
The IEA’s latest assessment reveals that the growth of clean energy production is escalating so rapidly that we’re finally on track to meet the 2030 objectives to get to the 2050 net zero goal. Solar and battery are the main drivers.
If all announced projects were to come to fruition, solar PV manufacturing capacity would comfortably exceed the deployment needs of the IEA’s Net Zero Emissions by 2050 (NZE) Scenario in 2030. Even if only half of this new capacity were to be utilised – the global average utilisation rate of solar PV manufacturing capacity in 2022 was slightly over 40% – throughput would still be sufficient to reach demand levels in the NZE Scenario (around 650 GW per year in 2030).
This is especially true if you’re in China, Vietnam, India, the EU, or the US.
However, if you’re an entrepreneur, you might be better off focusing on areas where demand exceeds production, which looks to be wind and heat pumps.
