Solar power has been on the rise for years, and for good reason. It has become one of the cheapest ways to generate energy almost everywhere, and it is one of the best options for combatting climate change.

Yet it still has its detractors. US energy secretary Chris Wright has claimed solar couldn’t supply all the energy the world needs. This is wildly and embarrassingly wrong, as many have pointed out. In fact, in the long run, solar – including wind, which captures the sun’s energy through a different mechanism – is the only power source that can meet growing energy demand without frying the planet.