Global solar power capacity has reached an unprecedented milestone of 2 terawatts (TW), with more solar capacity added in the past two years than in the previous 68 years combined. This surge is highlighted in exclusive data from the Global Solar Council (GSC), which includes smaller rooftop installations often excluded from official government records.
The newly reported figures provide the most comprehensive snapshot of global solar capacity to date, covering not only large-scale ground-mounted solar farms but also rooftop projects that are typically overlooked in official tallies. The GSC's data reveals that the global solar fleet now generates enough energy to power approximately 92 million U.S. households.
Sonia Dunlop, CEO of the Global Solar Council, emphasized the importance of capturing the full extent of global solar capacity, noting that “Governments often don't have the full picture in terms of solar because they're often missing a lot of the small rooftop projects because they just never get registered anywhere in a lot of countries.”
Looking ahead, the next major goal is to reach 8 TW of installed solar power by 2030, a target that is now considered feasible, based on current growth trends. Achieving this would contribute significantly toward the U.N.'s climate goal of reaching 11 TW of renewable capacity to meet global climate objectives outlined at last year's talks in Dubai.
To support this ambition, the Global Solar Council plans to launch an International Solar Finance group at the U.N. climate talks in Baku on November 11. The goal is to secure financing to reduce the cost of capital in emerging and developing economies from 15% to 5%, fostering accelerated solar adoption.
The GSC's latest data, compiled with SolarPower Europe, shows that approximately 60% of the global solar capacity comes from large-scale ground-mounted solar farms, while 40% is generated from rooftop solar installations. This rapid growth reflects both the expanding deployment of utility-scale projects and the rising popularity of decentralized solar solutions across the globe.
Source: Reuters
