Solar powers the world

The increase in solar and wind power production outpaced global electricity demand growth in the first half of 2025. Solar alone met 83% of the rise, with many countries setting new records. Fossil fuels remained mostly flat, with a slight decline. Fossil generation fell in China and India but grew in the EU and the US.These findings were published last week by global energy think tank Ember in the Global Electricity Mid-Year Insights 2025 report. The report analyses changes in global electricity generation from January to June 2025 compared with the same period last year to measure progress in the global clean energy transition.The report draws on monthly electricity data from 88 countries representing 93% of global electricity demand and includes estimated changes for the remaining generation. It also examines the top four CO2-emitting economies, which together account for 63% of the world’s electricity generation and 64% of global CO2 emissions from the power sector.As the world’s energy needs increase and electricity makes up a growing share of final energy consumption, spectacular solar growth, alongside increased wind generation, met and exceeded all new demand. This led to renewables overtaking coal’s share in the global mix and prevented further increases in CO2 emissions from the power sector, the report finds.Growing appetite“We are seeing the first signs of a crucial turning point. Solar and wind are now growing fast enough to meet the world’s growing appetite for electricity. This marks the beginning of a shift where clean power is keeping pace with demand growth. As technology costs continue to fall, now is the perfect moment to embrace the economic, social and health benefits that come with increased solar, wind and batteries,” said Malgorzata Wiatros-Motyka, senior electricity analyst at Ember.“This analysis confirms what we are witnessing on the ground: solar and wind are no longer marginal technologies—they are driving the global power system forward,” said Sonia Dunlop, CEO of the Global Solar Council. “The fact that renewables have overtaken coal for the first time marks a historic shift. But to lock in this progress, governments and industry must accelerate investment in solar, wind and battery storage to ensure clean, affordable and reliable electricity reaches communities everywhere.”According to Ember, global electricity demand grew by 2.6% (369 TWh) in the first half of 2025. This increase was more than met by rises in solar (306 TWh, 31%) and wind (97 TWh, 7.7%) generation, with solar alone covering 83% of the rise. Hydro fell significantly, bioenergy output dipped slightly, and nuclear rose modestly. Overall fossil generation fell marginally (-0.3%).Global numbersSolar’s share of the global electricity mix increased from 6.9% to 8.8%. China accounted for 55% of global solar growth, followed by the US (14%), the EU (12%), India (5.6%) and Brazil (3.2%), while the rest of the world contributed just 9%. Four countries generated over 25% of their electricity from solar, and at least 29 countries surpassed 10%, up from 22 last year and 11 in 2021.The BBC reports that most solar generation (58%) is now in lower-income countries, many of which have seen explosive growth in recent years, driven by dramatic cost reductions. Solar prices have fallen 99.9% since 1975, making large-scale deployment possible within a single year, particularly where grid electricity is expensive or unreliable.For example, Pakistan imported solar panels capable of generating 17 GW in 2024, double the previous year and roughly a third of the country’s electricity capacity. Africa is also experiencing a solar boom, with panel imports up 60% year-on-year. Coal-heavy South Africa led the way, while Nigeria overtook Egypt into second place with 1.7 GW of solar capacity—enough for around 1.8 million European homes. Smaller nations have seen even faster growth: Algeria increased imports 33-fold, Zambia eightfold and Botswana sevenfold.Namibia’s government directed the addition of 110 MW of solar generation in its 2018 ministerial determination and followed up in 2024 with a further 33 MW to be added to the national grid over the current five-year period.

Solar powers the world

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Republikein 2025-12-04

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Solar powers the world

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Republikein 2025-12-04

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