General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsNot actually breaking news, so I put it here under general discussion.

usonian
(26,423 posts)(Repost)
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100221208539
https://futurism.com/science-energy/iran-war-solar-china
According to Yale Environment 360, China has reached a record high for solar panel exports as suppliers scramble for oil alternatives. In March, one month into the US-Iran war that began on February 28, the Peoples Republic doubled the number of solar panels it was exporting, distributing 68 gigawatts of photovoltaic cells and silicon wafers.
Thats an astonishing spike across one month for context, the US has only an estimated 70 gigawatts of new solar generating capacity scheduled to come online across all of 2026 and 2027. According to data from the think-tank Ember Energy, China exported more solar capacity in March alone than the entire nation of Spain installed in the previous decade.
Per Ember, the banner month traces back to increased demand in Asia and Africa in particular. Across all of Africa, Chinese solar imports grew by 176 percent from February to March, while Chinese exports to the rest of Asia reached 39 gigawatts worth of capacity. In all, 55 countries set all-time records for Chinese solar purchases.
Nobel Environmental Prize for choking off the world's oil supply and skyrocketing solar adoption?
Very important
Wounded Bear
(64,553 posts)I hear there are spikes in EVs as well.
Melon
(1,624 posts)Renewable. Yearly average is 36% wind and sun. We need more of this.
NNadir
(38,473 posts)The solar and wind industries depend on access to fossil fuels. It's why Germany funded Putin's war on Ukraine, and why German industry is weighted down under high electricity prices.
paleotn
(22,612 posts)You were saying?
Envirogal
(320 posts)Last edited Sun May 10, 2026, 12:56 AM - Edit history (1)
And Germany funded Putins war on Ukraine? Thats a bit of hyperbole. Its because of the war that disrupted their access to cheap natural gas, one of their transition
fuels as they move to building more renewables.
Germany is a renewables success story as they are setting the stage for expanding infrastructure for more renewables. They were smart to get rid of their nuclear program in 2023 but the war in Ukraine brought on more expense in their fossil fuel transition so the timing was terrible for them.
AZ8theist
(7,583 posts)C Moon
(13,719 posts)That shits Un-Godly Toxic.
BurnDoubt
(1,859 posts)Youre saying the Fossil Freaks are pissed that they might get squeezed out of the Big Stinky Grift????
So unfair!
Its astonishing that this is so transparently obvious.
At least this Iran shitshow might be the last-gasp death-rattle for this obviously obsolete not-technology
with the added bonus of bankrupting these uglyarchs.
Martin Eden
(15,846 posts)That were already underway.