Renewables Renewables offer a promising solution to combat climate change, harnessing the power of nature's resources to provide clean, sustainable energy for a greener planet.
The 2 Terawatt Solar Milestone
Not long ago, the world surpassed the 2-terawatt milestone of installed solar PV. What’s truly remarkable is that while it took 68 years to reach 1 TW, the jump to 2 TW happened in just two more years, according to the Global Solar Council.
What Does This Mean?
To put this achievement into perspective, 2 TW of solar capacity is equivalent to the total installed electricity capacity of India, the United States, and the United Kingdom combined, enough to power an estimated one billion homes.
Looking at Europe, solar accounted for 11% of the EU’s electricity mix in 2024, surpassing coal. It was the fastest-growing power source, with generation increasing by 22% (+54 TWh) compared to 2023, despite slightly lower solar irradiance. This growth was driven by a record-breaking 66 GW of new capacity additions. As a result, solar became the biggest factor in reducing fossil fuel power in 2024, generating 304 TWh, overtaking coal (269 TWh) for the first time in history.
2024 marked a record annual increase in solar generation, up 54 TWh (+22%) compared to 2023, when solar generation had already increased by 40 TWh compared to 2022.
Some 60% of the 2 TW deployed comes from ground-mounted solar farms, while rooftop solar projects make up 40% of the total, the data showed. The rapid expansion of solar technology has driven down costs, making solar the cheapest form of energy in many countries. The 2030 goal for solar power is 8 TW. Solar must now double annual installations to 1 TW per year to meet the global renewables tripling target set at COP28 in Dubai.
For more in-depth data and insights, check out Ember’s European Electricity Review 2025.
