Bottlenecks in solar power generation systems

What are the bottlenecks for solar PV scale-up?

The major bottlenecks for solar PV scale-up are projected to center on materials scarcity. Copper and tin are the most critical materials and will constitute the main bottleneck of solar PV development in most scenarios. However, unlocks are available, as supply could ramp up (especially for tin).

Why do energy companies have a bottleneck?

Energy companies are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in wind farms, solar arrays and batteries, spurred on by federal tax breaks and falling costs. But these projects face a severe bottleneck: It is getting harder and taking longer to connect new power plants to the power lines that carry electricity to homes and businesses.

Could a bottleneck slow the energy transition?

Low-carbon energy technologies are growing, but bottlenecks could slow the energy transition at a time when the rollout of clean technologies needs to accelerate.

What is a bottleneck & how will it affect the future?

The highest-risk bottleneck is projected to be in materials—specifically the supply of rare earth metals for magnets, with severe imbalances in magnets for predominantly offshore wind expected by the end of this decade. Medium-risk bottlenecks could arise in land, infrastructure, and investment.

Are energy bottlenecks a risk for achieving net-zero commitments?

In our energy transition scenario that would achieve existing climate commitments, two-thirds of the potential bottlenecks assessed run a risk of delaying the path to net-zero commitments. Around a quarter of these potential bottlenecks are classified as high risk, without unlocks identified to date.

Can unlocks help address energy bottlenecks?

Although the identified bottlenecks pose major risks for a successful, fast, and orderly energy transition, there are also multiple unlocks that are available today to resolve them and thus mitigate the risks of a delayed transition. When assessing these unlocks, we found that they can help address 11 out of the 16 bottlenecks.