Don't forget that renewables are now connecting to various storage devices to bring in 24/7 capacity.
This is from the same article.
"Pottinger estimates that the cost of energy from solar PV has halved approximately every seven years since the 1960s (with more rapid reductions in recent years). Meanwhile, over recent times the cost of battery storage has been halving every 18 to 20 months. Importantly, there is still a considerable way for these technologies to improve before theoretical limits are reached, meaning that further step-changes in capability remain probable over the near to medium term."
Again, very interesting as the cost fall against the rising cost of fossil fuel energy.
"These two curves – the upward-sloping cost of energy from fossil fuel sources, and the downward-sloping cost of energy from renewable sources – are about to intersect. Indeed in remote locations with reasonable amounts of sunshine, this has already happened, with solar PV now materially cheaper than traditional sources such as diesel fuel. This explains the increasingly widespread use of renewable power in remote resource-mining communities and pacific islands, as well as other locations that are far from existing grid connections. The high rate of change in relative pricing means that the boundaries that define where conventional, grid-sourced power remains cheaper than renewable alternatives are moving rapidly. Our own analysis suggests that it will be cheaper to move off grid in downtown Sydney – with a solar + battery system installed by some of the world’s most expensive electricians – by as soon as the end of 2015."
