Solar and batteries can power the world

Solar and batteries can power the world

First Posted: 2026.02.09, Last Revised: 2026.03.30, Author: Tom Brown

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Solar and batteries are cheap enough that most people can get most of their electricity from them, and save money. This equation gets better and better over time as their costs decline.

More precisely: solar and batteries can supply 90% of electricity for 80% of the world's population at less than 80 €/MWh (including a fuel backup) with 2030 assumptions. Add some wind, existing hydro, or wait a few more years for costs to decline, and the equation just gets better.

The map shows the total average system cost of providing electricity for a constant hourly demand in 2030 with solar and batteries providing 90% of the electricity and some storeable fuel the final 10%.

For 80% of the population it is below 80 €/MWh:

The more expensive locations are all at high latitudes in the North, where low sunshine in the winter increases backup costs. In these regions the addition of wind, existing hydro or other energy sources would help to alleviate the higher costs.

If we increase the solar-battery supply from 90% to 95% and 99%, the high-latitude regions have difficulty with the last 1-5% because of low winter sunshine.

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