When Solar Energy Surpasses Coal Energy
This positive shift in the energy source indicates that we have reentered a belief system where the sunlight is esteemed and revered as the energy source to take the human civilization on earth for a sustained and more extended period by replenishing the Ozone layer .
The recently published Ember Report mentions that the global solar energy production has surpassed the total coal energy, it gives a ray of hope that the world is moving in the right direction and immediately I was driven in my memory lane to the wonderful interaction I had with my grandmother.
“Granny, why do you always pour water from an upright position from that brass Kamandalu, facing the morning sun?”- I asked my grandmother in an inquisitive voice after observing her morning routine for a couple of days during my school vacation.
As my question fell on her cochlea, the vital part of her auditory system, she responded by turning her head towards me, smiling at me while continuing to murmur and chant the Slokas.
I knew from my past experiences that she never breaks in the middle of the Slokas. I waited for her to complete her course and asked the same question, this time emphasizing the urge to get the answer immediately.
Holding a grin on her face, she said, “Dear, this is called Surya Arghyam. In traditional Indian philosophy, the Sun, the creator of the day, is the first deity whose blessings we seek before beginning the day by offering water to Him.”
Granny’s answer created an utter impulse within me to immediately rectify her and correct her. Without hesitation, I said, “But Granny! The Sun is not the creator of the day; rather, it is the rotation of the Earth that makes the day here.”
“Yes, dear! That is true, but in the absence of the Sun, the mere spinning of the earth around its own axis would not make possible the happening of day and night!”
After delivering this dialogue, she took a pause, giving me the time to analyze and comprehend the statement. Before I could create another counter-argument, she said, “And by the way, you must have read in your textbook that the solar gravitational force is responsible for making the earth remain in its orbit and rotate around the path, causing the occurrence of different seasons around the year!”
“So, Sun is responsible not only for the pattern of days and seasons on earth, but also for the survival of life on it by providing energy to all the species. Solar energy is a vital source of energy in the production of food for the entire ecosystem. You must have known that the trees, the primary producers of food in the food chain, depend on the solar light for photosynthesis!”
Even though her arguments were sounding perfect and convincing, I just wanted to put a different viewpoint of my own, without submitting to my Granny.
So, I said in a deviation tonality, “But Granny, the Sun is becoming harsher, forcing our school to remain closed for long days! At home, you are all putting a jack on us not to play outdoor games, looking at the rough weather conditions. So how can you…”, trying to articulate the right word to express my displeasure regarding tough sunny days. But Granny interjected, and my formulation of the right word got intertwined within me.
“Yes, dear! I completely agree with you and feel sympathetic towards you all and the future generation as well, as these rising temperatures are hindering your experience curve. But believe me, dear, the Sun can’t be blamed exclusively for this raised temperature on earth.”
“Then who should we blame for?” “The humans, the smartest species, knowing the tricks to maneuver and manipulate things to achieve their goals.” Please elaborate, Granny.
“Up to the point of the industrial revolution, the Sun used to be the primary source of energy on earth, helping human civilization to progress with time.However, the industrial era witnessed a tectonic shift in the energy source, transitioning to fossil fuels that released poisonous gases into the atmosphere, eroding the protective layer of the Earth known as the Ozone layer, which allowed harmful solar UV rays to penetrate the Earth’s atmosphere, causing a temperature rise. So, you can still worship the Sun, the potent source of energy on earth and be happy while attempting to replenish the Ozone layer that would address the climate crisis.”
A conversation I had with my grandmother about the relevance of the Sun being worshipped at the beginning of the day resurfaced in my mind after reading the Global Electricity Mid-Year Insights 2025 published by Ember, a global energy think tank on global electricity generation.
The report shows that there has been an 83% increase in solar electricity generation in the first half of 2025, accompanied by a decline in global coal energy production.
Big economies like India and China substantially shifted their energy source to solar energy, significantly impacting the scale of global energy production.
This positive shift in the energy source indicates that we have reentered a belief system where the sunlight is esteemed and revered as the energy source to take the human civilization on earth for a sustained and more extended period by replenishing the Ozone layer .
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