In 2024, photovoltaic systems with a total output of 597 gigawatts went into operation worldwide. This is the central result of the current market analysis that the Solarpower Europe (SPE) industry association published in the run -up to the Smarter E Europe, which starts on May 7, 2025. This increased by 33 percent compared to 2023. “The solar age has actually come,” emphasizes Walburga Hemetsberger, managing director of Spe, in view of the current buildings. “Although the spread of solar energy in the different regions of the world is different, a common topic is the flexible, electrified energy system, supported by important technologies such as battery storage. The decision -makers around the world should ensure that their flexibility plans match the solar reality and maximize them accordingly.”
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A terawatt extension awaited until the end of the decade
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A total of 2024 solar systems with an output of 2.2 terawatts were installed in the world in the world. After all, 46 percent of the total green electricity power. The solar association assumes that the annual Zubaumenge will exceed the Terawatt brand by the end of this decade.
By 2030, about seven terawatts will be installed, the analysts of SPE forecast. This would then be about 65 percent of the total renewable capacity, which would be necessary to achieve the goal of eleven terawatt ecostrom output worldwide. “The global goal of tripling the capacity of renewable energies by the end of the decade can be achieved with the help of solar energy,” explains Sonia Dunlop, Managing Director of the Global Solar Council (GSC). “We need a terawatts of solar energy and solar progress in more and more countries every year.
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China builds up more than half of the performance
The current Global Market Outlook for Solar Power 2025-2029 shows that China-as was expected-installed most of the new solar systems with 329 gigawatts. At least this is 55 percent of the total new installations of 2024. The association assumes that changes to the market design in China in 2025 will have noticeable but limited effects on the addition of the year 2026, which is then expected somewhat lower.
Indian solar market goes through the ceiling
Because even growth of the other markets cannot compensate for the decline in China. In 2024, 50 gigawatt solar power performance went online in the USA – less than a sixth of the performance built in China. The report is focusing on the solar market in India this year. Because this has developed excellently with growth by 145 percent. With 30.7 gigawatts, the South Asian subcontinent is now the third largest solar market in the world. For comparison: in 2023, 12.5 gigawatts of solar power were installed in India.
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200 gigawatts expected in India
The analysts of SPE attribute this to the comprehensive solar strategy of India. This gives the country’s energy transition a new thrust, and the industry representatives continue to expect rapidly growing additions in the next few years. Finally, the Indian government is planning an installed solar performance of 500 gigawatts by 2030. This means that further 200 gigawatts will have to be added in the next five years.
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Market in America continued to grow
The other regions in the world cannot see this strong growth. For example, the extension in North and South America has grown by only 40 percent. In addition to the United States, only Brazil is represented in the ranking of the ten largest solar markets in the world. India has left Brazil’s third largest market so far. The South American country is now in fourth place with 18.9 gigawatts, just before Germany with an extension of 17.4 gigawatts.
Market growth also in Europe
In addition to Germany, Spain with an extension of 8.7 gigawatts, Italy with 6.8 gigawatts of newly installed performance and France, where 4.7 gigawatts were rebuilt, are also among the ten largest countries. Turkey, which is part of the European market, also reaches a place among the ten largest markets in the world with 8.7 gigawatts. The extension has also increased in the Asia and Pacific (APAC) region. The largest single market here is Japan with an extension of 6.2 gigawatts.
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The analysts of SPE have registered a market growth of 15 percent for all of Europe – after all. For example, in the Middle East and Africa, market growth not only stalled, but sometimes even decreased.
The “Global Market Outlook for Solar Power 2025-2029” can be downloaded on the SPE website.