Global electricity breaks records – and solar is leading the charge

Ember’s Global Electricity Review 2025 offers a compelling snapshot of a world tipping toward cleaner energy. For the first time since the 1940s, low-carbon sources surpassed 40% of global electricity generation — a historic milestone made possible by record growth in renewables, particularly solar.

Solar’s surge is rewriting the global energy story

Solar power delivered the largest-ever annual increase in electricity generation in 2024, adding 474 TWh — a 29% jump. That’s enough electricity to power all of India. Incredibly, solar generation has doubled every three years, reaching over 2,000 TWh last year.

This extraordinary growth is being matched by capacity. A record 585 GW of solar was installed globally in 2024, more than double what was installed just two years prior. Battery storage is catching up too, with 69 GW installed last year — nearly doubling global capacity and setting the stage for round-the-clock solar.

Ireland’s solar future is part of a global shift

While Ember’s report doesn’t spotlight Ireland specifically, the global context matters more than ever. Ireland is already on the solar map with fast-growing deployment, and we’re now preparing our 2025 Scale of Solar in Ireland report to reflect this momentum. The report’s findings reinforce the importance of accelerating our national efforts — from grid investment to planning reform — to capitalise on what is now the world’s fastest-growing electricity source.

With 21 countries already generating over 15% of their electricity from solar, and 99 countries doubling their solar output in the last five years, Ireland must ensure its policies and infrastructure can support this clean energy wave.

A turning point for global electricity

Clean electricity met 79% of the increase in global demand in 2024, despite record consumption driven by heatwaves and new technologies like data centres, EVs, and heat pumps. Still, fossil generation saw a small rise (+1.4%) due to increased cooling demand during extreme heat — a signal that flexibility (like storage and demand response) is key to managing future spikes.

As Ember’s report puts it:

“Solar is now the engine of the global energy transition… Cleantech, not fossil fuels, is the driving force of economic development.”

For Ireland’s policymakers, investors, and communities, the message is clear: the age of solar is here — and it’s accelerating. Let’s ensure Ireland is not just watching the change, but leading it.