Jack Tame: The question of going solar is when, not if

Last month we set a new household record.  

Blame the baby, the extra washing, the old house, the cold weather, the dehumidifier, and whatever else. But despite booking in hours of free electricity across the month, between the gas heating and electricity, our family energy bill for June 2025 was the highest it’s ever been: $540.   

I know we’re very comfortable relative to so many families, but even so, that has gotta change. But while of course there are things we as a family can improve upon, I’m very aware that there are only so many gains to be won from policing light switches and shower times. I’m seriously wondering about solar.  

I read an amazing set of stats in the New Yorker magazine this week about the scale and development of solar energy around the world. This is all big picture stuff... mainly the huge industrial solar farms, rather than household solar, but a couple of these numbers absolutely blew me away.  

First of all, solar power is now growing faster than any power source in history. Globally, a gigawatt’s worth of solar panels is being installed every fifteen hours on average, which means if you set a stopwatch running right now, new solar panels equal to the entire electricity generation capacity of New Zealand will be installed and running by midnight on Thursday night. Next week? The same. And the week after that. And the week after that.   

Another fact. It took 68 years from the invention of solar panels for the world to install the first terawatt of solar generation. That was 2022. It took just two years to install the second terawatt of generation. And it’s gonna take a year to 18 months to install the third.   

By next year, the International Energy Agency says solar energy will generate more electricity than all the world’s nuclear power plants combined. By 2029, more than hydro dams. By 2031 more than gas and by 2032, more than coal. Globally, we are generating a third more energy through wind and solar than this time last year.   

The Chinese are miles ahead of anyone else on this, but even gas-guzzling America is changing fast.   

Why? Are we doing it because it’s the right thing? The moral thing? The climate-conscious thing?  

No. The huge surge in solar is being driven by economics. Put simply, solar power is way, way, way cheaper than other forms of electricity generation. Between batteries and solar panels, the technology is only getting better and only getting cheaper. Ten years from now, as reported in that article, the International Energy Agency says solar power will become the world’s main source of all energy... not just electricity, but all energy.  

I’m not naïve about solar’s limitations. Few of us need reminding —especially given the last couple of weeks— that there are times when the sun doesn’t shine. And right now, in the depths of winter, when our family’s energy bill is the highest, is the time of year when solar panels on our rooftop would likely be generating the least electricity.  

But if I take a step back and think about solar in the context of the whole year, it makes increasing economic sense to me. In summer I reckon I could wipe off a massive chunk from our energy bill. And whatever savings I make then can contribute to offsetting the bills in the middle of winter.  

All I knew when I looked at my energy bill this week is the status quo isn’t gonna be sustainable for our family. Rather than debating if we’ll go to solar, the only question for us now, is when. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack team podcast
from News Talks at be And.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Last month, I'm sorry to report we set a new
household record at the Tame's place. Blame the baby, the
extra washing, the old house, the cold weather, the dehumidifier
and whatever whatever else. But despite booking an hours of
free electricity across the month between the gas heating and
the electricity at our place, our family energy bill for

(00:36):
June twenty twenty five was the single highest bill it
has ever been, five hundred and forty dollars. There. Look,
I know that relative to lots of other families, we
have no reason to complain. We're pretty comfortable, right, But
even so five hundred and forty bucks? Are you serious?

(00:57):
That has to change? But while, of course there are
things that we as a family can do to improve,
I'm really aware that there are only so many gains
to be one from policing light switches and shower times.
I am seriously wondering about solar I read this amazing

(01:19):
article and this amazing set of stats in the New
Yorker magazine this week about the scale and development of
solar energy around the world. I've done that really insufferable
thing where I've sent the article to one thousand people
knowing that about two of them will actually read the article,
and I share these stats with you because they are amazing. Now,
it's mainly big picture stuff. Okay, so the kind of
big industrial solar farms rather than household solar. But a

(01:42):
couple of these numbers absolutely blew me away. So, first
of all, solar power is now growing faster than any
other power source in history. Globally, a gigawatts worth of
solar panels is being installed every fifteen hours on average,
which means that if you set a stop watch running
right now, okay, right this minute, you set to stop

(02:03):
watch going right now, new solar panels equal to the
entire electricity generation capacity of our country. So the entire
electricity generation capacity of New Zealand. New solar panels equivalent
to that will be installed and running by midnight on
Thursday night next week, exactly the same thing, the week

(02:25):
after that exactly the same, and the week after that,
and the week after that and the week after that.
Another fact, it took sixty eight years from the invention
of solar panels for the world to install the first
terra watt of solar generation capacity, So that was twenty
twenty two. It took just two years to install the

(02:45):
second terra wat of generation, and it's going to take
a year to eighteen months to install the third by
next year. The International Energy Agency, which is not some
big woofy lefty greenee pocket mulching organization, the International Energy Agency,
says solar energy will generate more electricity than all of
the world's nuclear power plant it's combined. By twenty twenty nine,

(03:08):
solar will do more than hydro dams, by twenty thirty one,
more than gas, and by twenty thirty two more than coal. Globally,
we are generating a third more energy through wind and
solar than this time last year. It's crazy how fast
this is accelerating. And of course the Chinese are miles
ahead of everyone else on this, but even gas guzzling

(03:31):
America is changing incredibly quickly. And why, you might ask,
are we doing it because it's the right thing? Are
we doing it because it's the moral thing, the climate
conscious thing we're all thinking of Paris twenty fifty. No, no, no, no, no, no,
none of that. The huge surgeon solar is being driven
by economics. Put simply, solar power is way, way, way

(03:53):
cheaper than other forms of electricity generation, and between batteries
and solar panels, the technology is only getting better and
only getting cheaper. Ten years from now. As reported in
that article, the International Energy Agency says solar power will
become the world's main source of all energy, so not
just all electricity, all energy. Solar is going to be

(04:16):
number one. Now. Look, I'm not naive about sola's limitations.
I mean, few of us need reminding, especially given the
last couple of weeks, that there are times when the
sun doesn't shine so much, and right now, in the
depths of winter, when our family's energy bill is at
its highest, is the time of year when solar panels
on our rooftop would likely be generating the least electricity.

(04:41):
But if I just step back for a moment and
think about SOLA in the context of the whole year,
it makes increasing economic sense. In summer, I reckon I
could wipe off a massive chunk from our energy bill,
and whatever savings I make then can contribute to offsetting
the bills in the middle of winter. All I know,

(05:04):
or all I knew when I looked at My energy
bill this week is at five hundred and forty bucks.
The status quo isn't going to be sustainable for our family,
and rather than debating if we will go to solar,
the only question for us now is when.

Speaker 1 (05:21):
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to News Talks d B from nine am Saturday, or
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