Renewables Now Lead the World in Electricity. Here’s What It Means for You.

Renewables are now the world's top electricity source. Read our analysis on what this historic shift means for your UK energy bills and personal security.

Connor Braddy

10/10/20254 min read

Renewables Now Lead the World in Electricity. Here’s What It Means for You.

This week, the global energy landscape passed a historic and hopeful milestone. According to new data from the energy think tank Ember, renewable energy has officially overtaken coal as the world's leading source of electricity for the first time in history.

This "crucial turning point," as Ember analysts call it, marks the beginning of a new era. The incredible growth in solar and wind power was so strong in the first half of this year that it met 100% of the world's new electricity demand. This is a clear sign that the future of energy generation will be cheaper, cleaner, and powered by the sun and the wind.

However, the report also highlights a critical challenge that will define the next phase of this transition, particularly for us in the UK.

The Good News: A Future of Abundant, Low-Cost Clean Energy

The driving force behind this revolution is the spectacular reduction in the cost of solar power, which has fallen by a staggering 99.9% since 1975. This has led to an explosion in solar adoption, particularly in developing nations.

This is fantastic news for everyone. It means the raw ingredient for our power is becoming cheaper and more sustainable. A world powered by renewables is a world less dependent on volatile fossil fuel markets, offering the promise of lower long-term energy costs.

"This is a monumental milestone. Phase one of the energy transition,making renewable generation cheaper and more abundant than fossil fuels, is now a success. We're now entering phase two: the engineering challenge of making that intermittent power reliable 24/7. This is entirely a storage problem, and it's the challenge we are dedicated to solving."

Peter Marshall
Technical Founder
Volta Eco Systems

The UK's Challenge: Living in the "Wind Belt"

While the global picture is positive, the report identifies a specific challenge for countries like the UK. Adair Turner, chair of the UK's Energy Transitions Commission, describes us as a "wind belt" country.

Unlike sunny "sun belt" nations, our renewable energy profile is heavily reliant on wind power. The report points out that balancing supply is much harder in this environment. Winter wind lulls can last for weeks, creating periods where renewable generation is low and requiring backup power sources that a grid-scale battery system alone cannot cover.

This intermittency is the central challenge of a renewable-powered grid. It means that while the generation of energy is getting cheaper, the challenge of ensuring a reliable supply, 24/7, is becoming more complex.

The Solution: From Grid Dependency to Personal Energy Security

For our customers, this news presents both an opportunity and a clear call to action. The opportunity is to tap into this new world of cheap, clean energy. The call to action is to protect yourself from the instability that comes with it.

The answer is not to rely solely on the National Grid, but to take control of your own energy supply with battery storage.

A home or business battery system allows you to become an active participant in this new energy landscape. It gives you the power to:

Store cheap energy: Capture excess power from your own solar panels or charge from the grid when wholesale renewable prices are at their lowest.
Avoid expensive peaks: Use that stored energy to power your property during the evening, when grid prices are at their highest and renewable generation may be low.
Protect yourself from instability: Have a seamless, reliable backup power source that keeps your lights on and your business running during grid outages or periods of low national generation.

The Volta Eco Systems Advantage

This is precisely the future our systems are designed for.

For Homeowners: The PowerPod is the perfect tool to navigate this new era. It allows you to store your own clean solar energy or cheap off-peak grid power, giving you control over your bills and insulating you from grid volatility. With its seamless backup power, it provides the peace of mind that a fluctuating grid cannot.
For Businesses: The PowerCore is a strategic asset for any business looking to thrive in a renewable-powered world. It allows you to slash energy costs through peak shaving and provides the ultimate insurance against power cuts, ensuring your operations are never at the mercy of the grid's instability.

The transition to a world powered by renewables is a hugely positive step forward. At Volta Eco Systems, we are proud to be providing the critical battery storage technology that empowers our customers to fully embrace this cleaner, cheaper future with confidence and security.