Solar power is already providing the “cheapest electricity in history” and is expected to play a pivotal role in the global transition away from fossil fuels.

The technology accounted for two-thirds of the world’s new electricity capacity and two-fifths of new generation in 2024, according to the thinktank Ember.

Yet, this rapid expansion has triggered a backlash, with numerous campaigns springing up to oppose new solar projects from the UK to Australia.

These groups frequently draw on misinformation, spread by right-leaning media outlets, anti-renewable energy groups and predominantly right-wing political parties.

Increasingly, these narratives are having real-world consequences, with governments restricting or even banning the installation of solar panels across swathes of land.

Here, Carbon Brief factchecks 16 of the most common myths about solar power.

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