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PDX Solar

@pdxsolar.org

A solar and new energy education nonprofit. Promoting independent, affordable, libre solar energy in Portland, Oregon pdxsolar.org - Lux Liberat

Posts Replies Media

PDX Solar @pdxsolar.org · 10/04/2026

That's a lot of sunshine! www.pv-magazine.com/2026/04/02/g...

511GW of solar capacity added in 2025 globally

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PDX Solar @pdxsolar.org · 11/02/2026

PGE: we already have Virtual Power Plants at home! The "VPPs":

screenshot of gmail inbox with an email, subject: PGE Customers: $10 smart thermostats

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PDX Solar @pdxsolar.org · 09/02/2026

fusion is already here, it's just a lot more boring (and widely available) than you think.

some sheets of glass and aluminum which are good at harvesting fusion energy

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PDX Solar @pdxsolar.org · 20/01/2026

R&D data for China is not available in the IEA data, but by number of patent filings they've far surpassed US and Europe. (via www.nathanielbullard.com/presentations )

China surpasses 5,000 patents/yr, with Europe just under 4,000 and US just over 2,000. Graph shows sharp increase in trajectory for China.

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PDX Solar @pdxsolar.org · 20/01/2026

And upstream of investment? R&D dollars swing even further towards decarbonization and efficiency technology. This means clean energy will continue to improve and come down further in price, while fossil enters structural decline.

Stacked line graphs of public energy R&D by category: fossil fuels represent a small band at the bottom. Other major categories include renewables, nuclear, efficiency, hydrogen, and storage/other. Europe is 23x clean/fossil; Americas 12x; Asia Oceania 6x. Data for China is not available. IEA total is 13x.

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PDX Solar @pdxsolar.org · 20/01/2026

The investment crossover has already happened. Global clean energy investment surpassed fossil fuel investment in 2016 and the gap is widening rapidly. In 2025, clean energy investment was more than double fossil fuel investment.

In all four regions, new clean energy investments surpass new fossil investments, with clean energy continuing to increase.

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PDX Solar @pdxsolar.org · 20/01/2026

This is great news because at the same time as grids decarbonize, more and more of the economy is powered by the grid. So we compound savings, energy security, and decreased carbon emissions. (via @nathanielbullard.com / www.nathanielbullard.com/presentations)

Electricity is now the single largest supplier of useful energy of any fuel or carrier. Next is oil, then case, then coal, then biomass. The trajectory shows electricity pulling steeply away from the others.

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PDX Solar @pdxsolar.org · 19/01/2026

As renewables grow, so do fuel savings. For fuel-importers, this means greater energy security. In all cases, this means relief from the vagaries of market fuel prices. A few hundred billion here, a few hundred billion there - pretty soon you're talking real money! #energysky

A 2x2 grid of dual-axis area charts for Europe, Americas, China, and Asia Oceania from 2015-2025. Each chart shows two
cumulative metrics: teal shading (left axis) for cumulative renewable energy generation growth in TWh above 2015 baseline, and purple
shading (right axis) for cumulative avoided fuel costs in billions of 2024 USD. Both metrics start at zero in 2015 and grow steadily,
with acceleration visible after 2020. China dominates with 7,988 TWh cumulative RE growth and $557B in savings. Europe shows 2,414 TWh
and $193B saved. Americas shows 2,902 TWh and $113B saved. Asia Oceania shows 924 TWh and $75B saved. The purple savings curve steepens
notably in 2022 across all regions, reflecting high fuel prices during the energy crisis amplifying the economic value of renewables.

"A 2x2 grid of line charts showing monthly fuel costs for Europe, Americas, China, and Asia Oceania from 2015-2025. Each
chart displays two lines: a red 'counterfactual' line showing what fuel costs would have been if renewable growth since 2015 had come
from fossil fuels instead, and a teal 'actual' line showing real fuel costs. Both lines start at the same value in 2015 and diverge
over time, with the gap (shaded teal) representing savings. All regions show a dramatic spike in 2022 during the energy crisis, where
the counterfactual costs peak much higher than actual costs. Europe shows actual costs peaking around $12B/month vs counterfactual
$22B/month in 2022. Cumulative savings displayed: Europe $193B, Americas $113B, China $557B, Asia Oceania $75B. All values in real 2024
USD.

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PDX Solar @pdxsolar.org · 19/01/2026

Something incredible is happening: renewables growing faster than fossil sources in every region. No wonder, they're the cheapest & fastest-to-build sources of electricity in human history. Even clearer when you see the hidden driver in this exponential growth of renewables: ☀️ solar 😎 #energysky

Cumulative Generation Growth in OECD regions: renewables are growing faster than coal and gas in every region and in China. Generation from Coal in China has been flat since 2024.

Generation growth in OECD regions plus china, with solar graphed as a generation source. In Europe, Americas, and China, the curve is clearly exponential. In Asia Oceania, solar makes up the vast majority of renewables but it not yet visibly exponential, however it's rising faster than coal and gas are each decreasing.

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