Global solar installations are on track for another record year, surging by 64% to 380 gigawatts in the first half of 2025, according to a study released on Tuesday by London-based energy think tank Ember.
Solar remained the fastest-growing source of new electricity generation, with output rising 28% last year to more than 469 terawatt-hours, outpacing all other sources, Ember said.
Last year, global solar additions did not exceed 350 GW until September, a milestone already surpassed this June.
- China widens lead
China more than doubled its installations in the first half of 2025 from a year earlier, adding 256 gigawatts, more than twice as much capacity as the rest of the world combined.
The country accounted for 67% of the global total, up from 54% in the same period in 2024.
The surge was partly driven by developers completing projects before new wind and solar compensation rules took effect in June.
While growth could slow in the second half, Ember said new industrial clean power requirements and higher full-year forecasts from China's solar association suggest 2025 will surpass last year's record.
- Global solar growth outside China hits 124 GW in early 2025
Countries outside China installed an estimated 124 gigawatts in the first half of 2025, up 15% from a year earlier.
India ranked second with 24 gigawatts, a 49% rise from the 16 gigawatts added in the first half of 2024.
The US followed with 21 gigawatts, up 4% year-on-year despite government moves to limit clean power growth.
Installations slipped slightly in Germany and Brazil, while other countries together added 65 gigawatts, 22% more than a year earlier.
In Africa, solar momentum is beginning to build, with Chinese panel imports rising 60% in the past year, though the absence of official installation data obscures the pace of deployment.
"With deployment surging across key markets and China's rapid scale-up pushing global installations to new highs, 2025 is on track to become another historic year for solar power," Ember said.
Commenting on the analysis, Nicolas Fulghum, a senior energy analyst at Ember, said the latest figures "defy gravity, with annual solar installations continuing their sharp rise."
"In a world of volatile energy markets, solar offers domestically produced power that can be rolled out at record speed to meet growing demand, independent of global fossil fuel supply chains," Fulghum added.
By Handan Kazanci
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr
