Solar power reached a historic turning point in 2025, breaking major records for both electricity production and installation capacity. According to the authors of the newly released report, solar became the first modern renewable technology to meet the largest share of the world’s growing energy needs in a single year.
The report highlights that “The 2025 increase in solar PV of 600 terawatt-hours (TWh) was the largest-ever electricity generation increase by any source in one year, outside of periods of post-crisis recovery.” Additionally, the authors state that “Solar PV capacity additions in 2025 rose by around 12%, surpassing 600 GW for the first time.”
This means that the jump in electricity produced by solar panels during 2025 was the biggest one-year gain ever seen for any type of power, including fossil fuels. For the first time, a clean energy source provided more than a quarter of the world’s new energy demand, proving that the shift away from traditional fuels is accelerating. The sheer amount of new solar equipment installed across the globe hit a level that had never been reached before.
The report “Global Energy Review 2026” was published by the International Energy Agency in France in April 2026. Prepared by the IEA’s Energy Modelling Office under the direction of Laura Cozzi, the comprehensive study was led by authors Alex Martinos and Thomas Spencer.
