RESEARCH
Solar Surpasses 2 Terawatts: 2024 Sets the All-Time Global Record for Annual Capacity Additions
Every major energy tracker confirmed a record year for solar in 2024: IEA counted 553 GW of new solar PV capacity, Ember tracked 582 GW, IRENA measured 452 GW on an AC basis, and BloombergNEF reported up to 599 GW on a DC basis — differences driven by measurement methodology, not genuine disagreement about direction. The milestone behind the numbers: global cumulative solar capacity crossed 2 terawatts by year-end 2024, reaching that second terawatt in just two years after it took 68 years to build the first. Solar was the single largest source of new electricity generation capacity globally for the third consecutive year, accounting for roughly 75–80% of all new renewable additions worldwide.
Findings
- IEA counted 553 GW of new solar PV capacity in 2024 — a 30% year-on-year increase — making solar the leading power generation technology deployed globally for the third consecutive year, ahead of every other electricity source
- IRENA reported 452 GW of solar additions on an AC-capacity basis in 2024, representing 78% of all new renewable energy capacity added globally, and noted global renewables capacity grew at a record rate of 15.1%
- Ember's Global Electricity Review 2025 tracked 582 GW of solar additions in 2024 and confirmed cumulative global solar capacity crossed 2 terawatts — a milestone reached in just two years after the first terawatt took 68 years to build (1954-2022)
- The United States alone installed a record 50 GW of solar in 2024 — the largest single-year addition by any power technology on the US grid in over two decades — with solar and storage together accounting for 84% of all new US electric generating capacity added that year
Delta Engine result
↔ Divergence Detected — Δ 0.2353 (threshold 0.05)
Evidence quality
avg 77 · min 55 · max 95 · spread 40