Global renewables capacity grew by a record 585 GW in 2024, with solar accounting for 452 GW, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Solar and wind together made up 96.6% of the increase.
From pv magazine Global
Solar power accounted for more than three-quarters of global renewable additions in 2024, according to IRENA.
Its “IRENA Renewable Capacity Statistics 2025” report shows that 585 GW of renewables were added last year, marking the largest increase in capacity to date and a 15.1% year-on-year rise – the fastest annual growth rate on record.
Renewables made up 92.5% of all energy capacity expansion in 2024, also a record for a calendar year.
Solar dominated the new renewables capacity, adding a record 451.9 GW. Together with wind, which contributed 113 GW, the two technologies accounted for 96.6% of global renewables growth.
China led the global expansion, installing nearly 64% of new renewable capacity, including more than half (278 GW) of the new solar capacity.
By the end of 2024, total renewable capacity had reached 4.4 TW, representing 46% of global installed power capacity.
Despite the record year for renewables, IRENA noted that the increase still falls short of the 11.2 TW required to meet the global goal of tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030. The agency said that renewables capacity must increase by 16.6% per year through 2030 to meet this target.
In the report’s introduction, IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera said that key energy planning issues, such as grid flexibility and adapting to variable renewable power, still need to be addressed to make renewables the dominant source of electricity generation.
“With just six years remaining to meet the goal adopted at COP 28 to triple installed renewable power capacity by 2030, the world now needs additions in excess of 1,120 GW each year for the rest of this decade to keep the world on a 1.5°C pathway,” La Camera said. “Looking ahead, we need to see a much faster pace of growth in the stock of renewable power plants and distributed electricity generation around the world.”
IRENA is urging national governments to use the next round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC 3.0) as an opportunity to outline their renewable energy ambitions.
“Renewable energy is powering down the fossil fuel age. Record-breaking growth is creating jobs, lowering energy bills and cleaning our air,” said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. “Renewables renew economies. But the shift to clean energy must be faster and fairer, with all countries given the chance to fully benefit from cheap, clean renewable power.”
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