Rooftop solar panels could fully power more than 30 million European homes

A recent study by researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany found that by 2020, more than 50 percent of European detached homes could be energy self-sufficient using rooftop solar panels and batteries. That number is expected to rise to 75 percent by 2020.2050.

The study also found that for a subset of these households, it would be economically feasible to abandon the grid altogether in the coming decades. However, the researchers said it would be more beneficial for households to remain connected to the grid and feed excess energy back to other users during periods of overproduction.

„Our findings suggest that going off the grid won’t be the most economical option even by 2050, but if you’re willing to pay more for self-sufficiency, it may make sense to invest in this type of self-sufficient building,“ said lead researcher Max Kleinebrahm.

„A large number of homes that abandon the grid rather than support it will be more inefficient.“

The cost of solar panels has fallen nearly 90 percent in the past decade, making the technology increasingly viable. Another study conducted by researchers at the University of Exeter and University College London found that solar energy has reached an „irreversible tipping point“ and will become the world’s dominant source of electricity within three decades.