In 2024, it took until September for global solar capacity additions to surpass 350 GW, while in 2025, the milestone was reached in June. The rapid expansion of solar capacity in recent years has made it the fastest growing source of new electricity generation.
In the first six months of 2025, the world added 380 GW of new solar capacity — 64% higher than during the same period in 2024, when 232 GW were installed. In 2024, it took until September for global solar capacity additions to surpass 350 GW, while in 2025, the milestone was reached in June.
Solar experienced the fastest growth among all power generation technologies in terms of electricity output, three times as much as wind power, which was ranked second. As if that weren't enough, global installed solar capacity surpassed 2 TW in 2024. It took nearly 70 years to reach the first terawatt, but only two more to double it.
Regarding global power generation, solar nearly doubled its share over the past 3 years, growing by 1.3 percentage points only last year to a 7% share in the world's electricity mix. This growth continued to drive renewable penetration and pushed additions of conventional electricity sources to a new low.
Global renewable energy markets are falling short of reaching a target of tripling installed renewable power generation capacity by 2030, as agreed upon at the COP28 climate summit, a
Electricity generation from solar, measured in terawatt-hours.
The year 2024 was a true landmark year for solar power. Global solar installations reached nearly 600 GW – an impressive 33% increase over the previous year – setting yet another
30% by 2030: A New Target for the Solar+ Decade In 2019, SEIA laid out a vision for the 2020s in our Roadmap for the Solar+ Decade. In that roadmap, we set a target for solar energy to
China broke its own renewable energy record once again in 2024, installing 80 gigawatts (GW) of wind capacity and 277 GW of solar capacity, according to the National Energy
World installed 380 GW of new solar capacity in first six months of 2025 Global solar installations are on track for another record year. In the first six months of 2025, the world added 380
China asserts global leadership in green energy with a 2030 photovoltaic target, aiming for 1.025 billion kilowatts, driving innovation and sustainable growth. China''s pursuit of its 2030
Renewables'' global growth, driven by solar PV, remains strong amid rising headwinds Global renewable power capacity is expected to double between now and 2030, increasing by 4 600
China, the world''s largest solar PV market, has officially achieved its 1.2 TW combined wind and solar PV power generation capacity target for 2030, 6 years ahead of schedule. Of the
We expect the combined share of generation from solar power and wind power to rise from about 18% in 2025 to about 21% in 2027. In our STEO forecast, utility-scale solar is the fastest
PDF version includes complete article with source references. Suitable for printing and offline reading.
