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- Our World in Data
- Solar panel cost decline
Solar panel cost decline
Our World in Data's line chart drew 59.3K views on X: 2.1x its typical post and #37 of 139 Our World in Data charts we track by views. Read Oct 10, 2026.
Solar panel prices have fallen by around 20% every time global capacity doubled, One of the most transformative changes in technology over the last few decades has been the massive drop in the cost of clean energy. Solar photovoltaic costs
Why it spread
This chart post spread because it paired a striking, easy to repeat claim about solar panel prices falling by around 20% every time global capacity doubled with a clear line chart, and it reached 59,277 views, 565 likes, 194 reposts, 30 quotes, and 114 saves from an independent author in the data journalism category.
What worked
- The post text gives a simple, memorable rule about solar panel prices falling by around 20% every time global capacity doubled, which makes the chart easy to share and discuss.
- The chart is a line chart that shows solar panel costs falling with cumulative capacity doubling, so the visual directly supports the headline claim without needing extra explanation.
- The post is branded, includes a source line, and comes from an independent author, which helped it earn a top quarter quote rate and a top quarter source reach alongside 30 quotes and 114 saves.
What to borrow
We could use the same form by pairing one clear, repeatable rule from our own data with a simple line chart that shows the trend directly, then adding a visible source line and our brand so the chart is easy to trust and share.
Careful
Do not copy the exact solar claim or treat the 20% figure as our own result, and do not over-read the missing comment count or the absent account typical likes as proof of anything beyond the measured views, likes, reposts, quotes, and saves.
Written by our analysis model from the measured numbers above, not by Our World in Data.
Make it yours
Your numbers, in this line chart.
Starts from the real numbers of "Solar panel costs have fallen by around 20% for every doubling of global cumulative capaci" by Our World in Data. Replace every number with yours before you post. Make one like this, step by step
Free pictures carry a small "Made with ViralChart" line. That line is how other people find us.
API · Max
Use this chart via API
On the Max plan you can pull this chart's numbers with the provenance of each one, as JSON or CSV, with its redraw spec, or call it from an agent over MCP. Chart id 318d29f15d40.
Approximate values. Our two readings of this chart agreed only in part (confidence 0.44 of 1), so check the original before you quote a number. The API marks it lowConfidence, and ?min_confidence=0.5 leaves it out.
| Path | Returns | Plan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GET | /api/v1/charts/318d29f15d40 | Title, publisher, date, form, point count; with a Max key, the data link | Open |
| GET | /api/v1/charts/318d29f15d40/data | Every point with its provenance and confidence, plus the redraw spec. Add ?format=csv for CSV | Max |
| GET | /api/v1/charts/318d29f15d40/render?view=1 | The draw-only view this page uses | Open |
| POST | /mcp | Tool get_chart_data with this id, for Claude, Cursor and other agents | Max |
curl -s https://viral-chart.com/api/v1/charts/318d29f15d40/data \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $VIRALCHART_KEY"claude mcp add --transport http viralchart https://viral-chart.com/mcp \
--header "Authorization: Bearer $VIRALCHART_KEY"60 requests a minute per key; over that you get 429 with Retry-After. Up to 5 keys per account, made on your account page and shown once. Without Max, the data route answers 402 with a link to the plans. The numbers describe a chart its publisher owns, and every file carries a license note.
More from Our World in Data
All 139
Other giants using a line chart
All 295
Questions people ask
How far did Our World in Data's "Solar panel cost decline" chart travel?
59,277 views, 565 likes, 194 reposts and 114 saves on X, read Oct 10, 2026. A normal post from @OurWorldInData gets about 28.6K views.
What kind of chart is it?
A line chart. Solar panel costs fall with cumulative capacity doubling.
Can I use Our World in Data's chart?
Use the format, not the picture. The chart, logo and design belong to Our World in Data. ViralChart redraws the chart type with your numbers and words, and credits the original publisher.