Expert says solar alone could plausibly make up half of the world’s electricity system by mid-century. AFP Published August 11, 2022 Updated August 11, 2022 10:24am Generating power from sunlight bouncing off the ground, working at night, even helping to grow strawberries: solar panel technology is evolving fast as costs plummet for a key segment of the world’s energy transition. The International Energy Agency (IEA) says solar will have to scale up significantly this decade to meet the Paris climate target of limiting temperature rises to 1.