What is the growth rate of photovoltaics?

Between 1992 and 2023, the worldwide usage of photovoltaics (PV) increased exponentially. During this period, it evolved from a niche market of small-scale applications to a mainstream electricity source. From 2016-2022 it has seen an annual capacity and production growth rate of around 26%- doubling approximately every three years.

Is solar photovoltaic the new cornerstone of the global power sector?

In the past three months, the International Energy Agency, the International Renewable Energy Agency, and BloombergNEF published preliminary data for the power sector in 2024. These data hammer the same powerful message: solar photovoltaic (PV) has become the new cornerstone of the global power sector.

Why is solar PV taking over the energy industry?

In all areas: electricity generation growth, installed capacity growth, and cost competitiveness, solar PV domination is now overwhelming. And solar PV takeover is accompanied by the timely meteoric rise of battery storage, which cumulative installed capacity likely overtook that of pumped hydro storage last year.

Is solar power the fastest growing power generation technology?

Solar experienced the fastest growth among all power generation technologies in terms of electricity output, three times as much as wind power, which was ranked second. As if that weren’t enough, global installed solar capacity surpassed 2 TW in 2024. It took nearly 70 years to reach the first terawatt, but only two more to double it.

How has photovoltaic solar technology changed the world?

Benefitting from favorable policies and declining costs of modules, photovoltaic solar installation has grown consistently. In 2023, China added 60% of the world's new capacity. Between 1992 and 2023, the worldwide usage of photovoltaics (PV) increased exponentially.

What is solar photovoltaics & why is it important?

Solar photovoltaics is one of the most cost-effective technologies for electricity generation and therefore its use is growing rapidly across the globe. Global solar photovoltaic capacity has grown from around 40 gigawatts in 2010 to approximately 2.2 terawatts in 2024. Only in that last year, installations increased by almost 40 percent.