Global growth in solar 'the largest ever observed for any source'

Source: Ars Technica

Moving to a solar‑dominated grid

When it comes to supplying electrons for those alternatives, the central story is solar power. “The absolute increase of solar PV generation in 2025 is the largest ever observed for any source,” the IEA says, “excluding years marked by rebounds from global economic shocks such as COVID‑19.” In other words, with nothing in particular driving the energy markets in 2025, solar’s growth was unprecedented. On its own, its growth covered a quarter of the rising demand for all forms of energy. If you limit it to electricity, increased solar production covered over two‑thirds of the increased demand.

Key solar statistics for 2025

• Solar generated over 2,700 TWh last year, more than double its output from three years earlier.
• This accounts for over 8 % of the world’s total electricity production.
• 30 countries installed at least 1 GW of solar capacity each.
• Solar is now the single largest grid source by capacity, though other sources still out‑produce it at the moment.

Change in the production of different electricity sources. Most have barely budged in the past two years, with solar being a big exception.
Credit: EIA

The solar boom is the primary reason that carbon‑free generating sources—hydro, nuclear, solar, wind, and other renewables—were able to grow faster than demand in 2025. In other words, as electrification increases, we’re at the point where we can meet the additional demand without boosting carbon emissions. These sources covered nearly 60 % of the overall growth in demand for energy of all types.

Batteries enable the solar surge

Batteries were the fastest‑growing power technology, with capacity additions rising 40 % between 2024 and 2025, reaching 110 GW of new capacity last year. That is apparently more than the highest one‑year addition of natural‑gas capacity and leaves our total installed capacity at over 10 times what it was just five years ago. Batteries, when combined with cheap solar, can limit the need for fossil‑fuel‑powered backups.

Fossil‑fuel trends

• Natural gas use increased by about 1 %, primarily due to weather‑driven heating demand.
• Coal was largely flat, rising by just 0.4 %. The U.S. saw a small increase, but the EU’s coal share fell below 10 % of electricity production for the first time since records began.
• China commissioned many coal plants in 2025, largely started during a prior energy shock, yet its coal use for electricity dropped thanks to massive renewable investment (China accounted for 60 % of global renewable growth last year).