Solar power is the world’s fastest-growing source of energy. It currently provides 6% of the world’s electricity but, by the mid-2030s, solar cells will probably be the planet’s single biggest source of electricity. A decade later they may be the world's largest source of energy. Access to this cheap, abundant power will make nearly everything else cheaper, too. How did solar energy get to this point and what will its rise mean for the future of the world? Plus, where does solar power technology go next—could unlimited energy from the Sun be collected from space?

Host: Alok Jha, The Economist’s science and technology editor. Contributors: Jenny Chase of BloombergNEF; Ali Hajimiri of Caltech; Sam Adlen of Space Solar; and The Economist’s Hal Hodson and John McDermott.

Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts.

Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+.

For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.