Solar Leads Global Energy Growth for First Time in 2025

For the first time in history, solar energy led the charge in powering our growing world, contributing more than a quarter of all new energy demand in 2025.

The International Energy Agency's latest report reveals a stunning milestone: solar photovoltaic systems accounted for over 25% of global energy growth last year, beating every other energy source including natural gas, which came in second at 17%. This marks the first time a renewable energy source has claimed the top spot in meeting humanity's rising energy needs.

The shift is happening faster than many predicted. Solar installations alone generated an additional 600 terawatt-hours of electricity in 2025, helping push coal further out of the power grid.

But solar wasn't the only star of 2025. Battery storage emerged as the fastest-growing technology in the entire energy sector, with 110 gigawatts of new capacity installed worldwide. That number surpasses the largest annual expansion ever recorded for gas-fired power plants, signaling a fundamental change in how we think about energy infrastructure.

Global electricity demand grew by around 3% in 2025, more than twice as fast as overall energy consumption. As homes, businesses, and transportation increasingly run on electricity rather than fossil fuels, renewable sources are stepping up to meet the challenge.

Electric vehicles continued their rapid climb, with sales jumping more than 20% to over 20 million units. Worldwide, one in four new cars sold in 2025 was electric, accelerating the shift away from gasoline and diesel.

"Solar PV accounted for over a quarter of all of the world's energy demand growth, more than any other source, for the first time," said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol, emphasizing the historic nature of this transition.

The Ripple Effect

This energy transformation touches every corner of our lives. Cleaner air in cities means healthier communities. More solar installations create jobs in manufacturing, installation, and maintenance. Battery storage makes renewable energy reliable around the clock, solving one of the biggest challenges of the clean energy transition.

The speed of change offers genuine hope: renewable energy isn't just growing, it's outcompeting fossil fuels in meeting new demand. Countries don't have to choose between economic growth and environmental protection anymore.

The numbers tell a story of momentum building on itself. As solar gets cheaper and batteries more efficient, the transition accelerates naturally. What seemed impossible a decade ago is now simply happening.

The energy system of 2025 looks fundamentally different from just five years earlier, and the transformation shows no signs of slowing.