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From Rooftops to Utility-Scale: Powering the Global Solar Boom

Published in: Solar, Digital Blog

In the past decade, solar power has transformed from a niche solution to a primary driver of the global energy transition. With global installed solar PV capacity reaching approximately 1.6 terawatts (TW) as of early 2024, the solar industry is entering a new era of scale, innovation, and accessibility.

The Scale of Solar Growth

Global installations in 2024 were forecasted between 500–655 GW, with:
Growth driven by:

Country-by-Country Highlights

China: Leading the Charge

Installed 268 GW of solar capacity in 2023, over 60% of global additions
Expected to add 313.7 GW in 2024
Supported by:

United States: Scaling Up with Policy Backing

Projected to install 40.6 GW in 2024
Driven by:

India and Southeast Asia: Emerging Powerhouses

India projected to add 18.1 GW in 2024
Supported by:
Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines) scaling up commercial and utility solar due to rising demand and favorable climates

Latin America: Brazil Leads the Region

Brazil’s solar capacity reached 53.9 GW as of early 2025
Solar now represents 21.9% of Brazil’s electricity mix
Distributed generation is playing a major role
Chile, Mexico, and Colombia are developing major utility-scale projects

Europe: The Decentralized Solar Renaissance

Germany expected to add 16.5 GW in 2024
Growth fueled by:
Key strength: decentralization through feed-in tariffs and net metering
Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands are also expanding residential and commercial solar

Australia: A Rooftop Solar Leader

Over 3.92 million PV systems installed by September 2024, totaling 37.8 GW
High per-capita adoption due to:
Growth in utility-scale and battery storage installations underway

What’s Powering the Boom?

Several long-term structural and market factors are converging:

Cost Reductions:
Policy Support:
Corporate and Consumer Demand:
Energy Security:

Rooftop vs. Utility-Scale: Complementary Roles

Rooftop/Distributed Solar:
Utility-Scale Solar:

Many regions are adopting hybrid approaches, combining rooftop and utility-scale deployments to maximize flexibility and reliability.

Looking Ahead

As 2025 progresses, the global solar momentum shows no signs of slowing. Key outlook points include:

Trillions of dollars flowing into clean energy
Continued advances in storage and smart grid integration
Increasing urgency from climate imperatives

Solar energy is becoming foundational to modern energy systems—flexible, cost-effective, and widely accessible. From rooftops in Rome to utility-scale plants in Rajasthan, solar is empowering households, businesses, and governments to shape their energy futures.

For more industry insights, visit: 🔗 pes.eu.com/solar