By Abbas Nazil
The International Solar Alliance (ISA) has identified distributed renewable energy, battery storage, and floating solar projects as the leading drivers of the global transition to green energy.
Ahead of its 8th Assembly in New Delhi, India, from 27 to 30 October, ISA Director General Ashish Khanna highlighted that falling storage costs and technological innovation are making solar energy more competitive than ever.
Khanna revealed that the cost of battery storage has dropped by nearly 50% over the past year, significantly boosting the viability of solar-plus-storage projects when compared to new coal-based power plants.
He noted that alongside battery storage, other technologies such as pumped hydro storage, molten salt systems, and carbon dioxide-based storage are undergoing rapid development and innovation across different stages.
Despite this progress, Khanna pointed out that over 800 gigawatts (GW) of solar energy potential remains untapped globally, primarily due to challenges in power transmission and the absence of sufficient storage capacity.
To address these gaps, the ISA is preparing to launch the Africa Solar Facility, a $200 million initiative aimed at supporting distributed renewable energy projects and offering financial instruments to mitigate associated risks.
In addition, the alliance plans to establish a Global Capability Centre and an ISA Academy, which will focus on expanding education and training opportunities in solar energy technologies worldwide.
Khanna further explained that while it took nearly 25 years to install the first 1,000GW of solar capacity worldwide, the next 1,000GW was achieved in just two years.
The ISA now expects an additional surge of 2,000GW within the next four years, with approximately 70% of this growth projected to originate from the Asia-Pacific region.
Floating solar technology is also emerging as a major contributor to renewable energy generation.
The ISA projects that global floating solar capacity will expand from 10GW to 77GW, opening new possibilities for countries with limited land availability.
Moreover, the alliance is promoting integrated hybrid projects that combine green hydrogen, floating solar, wind, and pumped storage systems to reduce energy costs for small island nations and developing countries.
Founded in 2015 by India and France during the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) in Paris, the International Solar Alliance now consists of 124 member and signatory nations.
Its mission is to enhance global energy access and accelerate solar adoption by lowering the costs of both technology and financing.
Through global collaboration, ISA continues to position solar power as a cornerstone of the world’s clean energy future, driving sustainable growth while reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
The organisation’s ongoing efforts underscore the increasing role of renewable technologies in transforming global energy systems toward sustainability and resilience.