Up to July this year, it is estimated that 292GW of solar capacity has been installed in 2024. For most countries around the world, including the UK, the amount of installed capacity added so far in 2024 has been higher than the same period in 2023, with the UK adding around 1.1x the capacity of the previous year.
China added almost twice as much utility-scale solar and wind power capacity in 2023 than in any other year. By the first quarter of 2024, China’s total utility-scale solar and wind capacity reached 758 GW, though data from China Electricity Council put the total capacity, including distributed solar, at 1,120 GW.
The massive step up in solar capacity installations in 2023 and 2024 has shifted perceptions around solar’s role in the energy transition. Solar will likely add more GWs in 2024 than the entire global increase in coal power capacity since 2010 (540 GW).
For most countries around the world, including the UK, the amount of installed capacity added so far in 2024 has been higher than the same period in 2023, with the UK adding around 1.1x the capacity of the previous year. Most countries have picked up the pace for installing solar. Source: Ember
Ember analysed the latest monthly solar capacity data for 15 countries, accounting for 80% of solar installations in 2023. Capacity additions in these countries increased by 29% in January to July this year, compared to the same period last year. If this 29% growth rate continues until the end of this year, they will install 478 GW.
Actual reported data for 2024 is available to July with the exception for the US where the last reported datapoint is June. Data for some national sources including China have been converted from GW (AC) to GW (DC). China’s solar installations from January to June 2024 surpassed the country’s total solar additions in 2022.