Solar energy on the rise - Meltwater

Sustainability is one of the most pressing issues of our time and is additionally fueled by the current climate crisis. The challenges related to the climate are also driving conversations about sustainable energy. The fossil-free alternatives on the market are scrutinised against their precursors regarding efficiency, reliability, and longevity, with solar energy being the most talked about alternative in the media landscape.

This is according to the media report "The Big Solar Power Leap" recently published by Meltwater, the all-in-one media monitoring platform. Meltwater has used its media monitoring tool, to investigate the increase in reporting about solar energy.

The conversation about solar energy is progressively increasing on a year-to-year basis. During the first six months of 2022, the majority of the top reaching and engaging content is business-to-business related (56%), followed by business-to-customer (28%) and government (16%). Only halfway through 2022, the solar power industry has generated mentions equivalent to 2020’s total coverage.

The time for solar is now

In the general debate of the B2B media, there seems to be a strong belief in solar energy as a solution to the climate crisis and as the key to independence from Russian energy supplies (32%).

The main pull factors driving the expansion of solar energy are climate benefits (40%), constant technology (32%), and industrial development (32%). Media coverage for households (B2C) focuses on the increasing demand for solar panels and the associated factors and consequences. When discussing households, price (68%) and the ability to make long-term profits (24%) were seen as the most critical issues.

Analysing the media talks with the government on solar energy, it is clear that the media increasingly insist on solutions for importing energy from more than one country (46%). The demand for independence from Russia's energy supply and the transition to renewable energy is not progressing fast enough, leading governments to resort to non-renewable energy sources as an "improvised solution" (43%).

All data and findings are from our latest report: The Big Solar Power Leap.

About Meltwater

The global software-as-a-service (SaaS) company Meltwater GmbH was founded in Oslo in 2001 by Jørn Lyseggen. The basis of the founding was the vision of filtering (online) news to gain relevant information and insights. With this business idea, the company, which now has around 2,500 employees and over 30,000 customers, has developed into the world market leader in the field of media intelligence within a very short time. Started as a media monitoring service provider, today, Meltwater offers an all-in-one solution for media intelligence, social media, and influencer marketing. Meltwater was able to read large amounts of data from the very beginning of social networks. The company invests in artificial intelligence to analyse the data, identify trends and generate relevant insights. In addition, Meltwater created a non-profit foundation that funds the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST). For more information, visit www.meltwater.com.