Solar’s growth isn’t just steady—it’s compounding. If current trends hold, half of the world’s energy could come from solar by 2035. That’s the prediction Andrew “Birchy” Birch has modeled using real-world data and the S-curve of technology adoption. He explains why mainstream forecasts underestimate solar, how exponential growth works in energy markets, and what policies must change to support a fully electrified economy.

Birchy is the CEO and co-founder of Open Solar, a free solar design and project management platform used by installers worldwide. A longtime solar industry pioneer, he previously co-founded Sungevity, one of the first online solar sales platforms, and has spent decades advocating for policies that expand solar access (like pushing forward the SolarAPP in the US). Now, he’s working with the Global Solar Council to push for an industry “Bill of Rights” that ensures fair energy market rules and a standardized approach to integrating solar into the grid. Want to hear and see the data supporting Birchy’s bold claim that Solar will be More than 50% of our primary global energy in just 10 years’ time?

Expect to learn:

• Why the S-curve shows solar reaching 50% of global primary energy by 2035
• How the U.S. solar market compares to the rest of the world
• How SolarApp and permitting reform could unlock residential solar
• Why tariffs and subsidies are distorting the solar market
• How OpenSolar is making solar design software free for installers worldwide

Helpful Resources:

Connect with Andrew Birch:

• LinkedIn | Website

Check out OpenSolar:

• Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

Resources:

• Check out Global Solar Council
• Check out SolarAPP+
• Introducing the S-Curve: Modelling Solar Growth
• Check out our other episode with Andrew Birch, Ep 437 where Birchy talks about NEM3.0 and SolarAPP
• And one of Birchy’s earliest interviews on the pod when he first introduced Open Solar - Ep 285