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Environment

Global solar energy capacity tops coal

by Jeff Johnson, special to C&EN
October 9, 2017 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 95, Issue 40

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Credit: Shutterstock
A photo of a row of solar panels in a field.
Credit: Shutterstock

In 2016, for the first time, global capacity for photovoltaic solar energy rose faster than that for any other fuel, exceeding even the net growth of coal, says the International Energy Agency. New solar projects in China made up nearly 50% of all new international capacity. China, the U.S., and India are predicted to account for two-thirds of future additions. Renewables overall provided two-thirds of global net energy capacity growth in 2016.

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Note: Renewables include solar, wind, hydropower, bioenergy, and geothermal.
Source: International Energy Agency

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